Lauren Taylor

20 INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING FOUR CONFIRMED MEMBERS OF THE VENEZUELAN GANG TREN DE ARAGUA, WERE ARRESTED DURING A MULTI-AGENCY RAID THIS WEEKEND IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

THE OPERATION, DUBBED ‘OPERATION AURORA’, INVOLVED OVER 150 OFFICERS FROM VARIOUS AGENCIES INCLUDING THE SAN ANTONIO POLICE DEPARTMENT, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY, FBI, HOMELAND SECURITY, AND U.S. BORDER PATROL.

THE RAID WAS PROMPTED BY REPORTS OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING, NARCOTICS VIOLATIONS, AND THREATS TO APARTMENT STAFF AT THE PALATIA APARTMENTS COMPLEX ON SAN ANTONIO’S NORTH SIDE. LAW ENFORCEMENT CLEARED NEARLY 300 VACANT APARTMENTS SUSPECTED OF BEING USED BY GANG MEMBERS.

THE TREN DE ARAGUA GANG, ORIGINATING FROM VENEZUELA’S ARAGUA STATE, HAS REPORTEDLY INFILTRATED THE UNITED STATES, BLENDING WITH UNDOCUMENTED MIGRANTS AND EXPANDING ITS CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES TO INCLUDE PROSTITUTION, DRUG TRAFFICKING, AND VIOLENT CRIMES.

THE OPERATION AGAINST TREN DE ARAGUA IS PART OF A BROADER EFFORT TO DISRUPT THE GANG’S INFLUENCE IN TEXAS, WITH AUTHORITIES FORMING SPECIALIZED UNITS TO ADDRESS THE EVOLVING LANDSCAPE OF INTERNATIONAL GANG ACTIVITY.

LAST MONTH, TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT DESIGNATED TREN DE ARAGUA A FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION.

“ALSO, I DIRECTED THE DPS TO CREATE A NEW TDA STRIKE TEAM MADE OF HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICERS, DPS SPECIAL AGENTS, TEXAS RANGERS, SWAT TEAMS INCLUDING AIRCRAFT, HELICOPTERS AND DRONES, K-9 TEAMS AND INTELLIGENCE UNITS,” GOV. ABBOTT SAID. “THESE STRIKE TEAMS WILL COLLABORATE WITH TEXAS ANTI-GANG CENTER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS TO SURGE RESOURCES TO AREAS WHERE KNOWN OR SUSPECTED TDA ACTIVITY IS TAKING PLACE.”

ABBOTT ALSO ANNOUNCED TEXAS WILL ALLOCATE OVER $100 MILLION TO SUPPORT THE TEXAS ANTI-GANG CENTERS OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.