Is Texas the new battleground against the dangerous Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua?

We learn more about the Venezuelan street gang that found itself in the crosshairs of police in Texas. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has declared the Tren de Aragua gang a foreign terrorist organization.

“The worst of the worst,” Abbott said of the gang.

Earlier this month, Abbott announced strike teams and thousands of dollars in rewards for information leading to the identification and arrest of Tren de Aragua members. Law enforcement leaders say they are trying to deny the transnational gang any foothold in Texas.

“What we know about this organization is that it is very well run, kind of like a business,” said retired homeland security agent Ari Jimenez.

Jimenez has seen the gang explode in major cities across the country. He says this criminal enterprise usually starts with under-the-radar crimes, including organized theft and sexual exploitation.

“The next step is crimes involving guns,” Jimenez said. ‘It’s going to be a murder-for-hire. It’s going to be a shootout. And before you know it, they own and control the criminal element in the city.”

Intelligence documents obtained by the I-Team show self-identified members, and those sporting the gang’s signature tattoos of a nautical compass, an eye, a rose and a clock face, have been arrested around the city’s Migrant Resource Center for crimes including theft , human trafficking, trafficking and possession of false government documents.

Some, including higher profile members, had previously been arrested while illegally entering the country and subsequently released by border authorities. (…)

– Read more: news4sanantonio.com