Texas Governor Abbott Designates Venezuelan Gang Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has announced that the state is taking aggressive action against the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), declaring the group a “foreign terrorist organization.”

During a press conference in Houston on Monday, Abbott announced that Texas is launching a sweeping, statewide operation to aggressively target the dangerous Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (also known as TdA), disrupting their criminal activities and preventing them from gaining a foothold in the state, he said at a press conference in Houston.

“Today in Houston, I designated Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. Texas will aggressively pursue them to disrupt their criminal activities and gain a foothold in our state,” Abbott said in a message to x. “Texas is the wrong state to do business in.”

Abbott ordered the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to elevate the TdA to a Tier 1 gang and create a TdA Strike Team that will identify and arrest TdA gang members.

AURORA PD ARRESTS 10 MEMBERS OF TREN DE ARAGUA IN CONNECTION WITH APARTMENT BUILDINGS TAKEOVERS: STATEMENT

Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Monday that the state will crack down on a Venezuelan gang that he says is known for brutal violence and murder and poses a threat to the safety of Texas residents. (X/@GregAbbott_TX)

“The recent entry and expansion of the vicious Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, is a dangerous and deadly problem for our state and nation,” said Governor Abbott. “Our number one focus is the safety and security of all Texans.”

“Our goal is to defend Texas from the growing gang threat. We will not allow them to use Texas as a base to terrorize our citizens. They have a target on their backs and we are going after them,” Abbott continued.

Governor Abbott was joined by DPS Director Steve McCraw, Texas Border Czar Mike Banks, and National Border Patrol Council Vice Chairman Chris Cabrera.

ICE CONFIRMS AURORA AND COLORADO GANG MEMBERS ILLEGALLY IN US, RELEASED BY BIDEN ADMIN

“Tren de Aragua gangsters are like cockroaches,” said DPS Director McCraw. “They multiply rapidly; small break-ins in communities become plagues if not aggressively dealt with. These Venezuelan thugs are very combative, violent and certainly adaptable.”

“They’re always involved in situations that start with human smuggling. Then they’re involved in extortion, kidnapping, rape, assault, and sex trafficking of migrants. Governor Abbott has made it very clear: We will not allow any of these gangsters to get a foothold in Texas,” McCraw vowed.

The designation would allow Texas to use the courts to curb the gang’s criminal activities, seize their property through civil forfeiture, and impose tougher penalties during prosecutions.

Last year, Governor Abbott signed Senate Act 1900 a law that defined transnational drug cartels and criminal organizations as foreign terrorist organizations in the state of Texas and increased penalties for distributing illegal drugs and operating drug caches.

The TdA has also caused major chaos in Colorado.

VIOLENT VENEZUELAN PRISON GANG INFILTRATING US, BECOMING MORE ORGANIZED AND CHEATING: ‘MS-13 ON STEROIDS’

In a statement to Fox News on Thursday, ICE confirmed that four Venezuelan nationals are in the United States illegally. (Aurora Police Department, Eduard Romero)

Four Venezuelan nationals who are members of the Tren de Aragua gang arrested in Aurora have been confirmed as illegal aliens, an ICE spokesperson previously told Fox News.

The Venezuelan nationals, ranging in age from 19 to 24, all illegally crossed the southern border through Texas in 2022 and 2023, under the Biden administration. All four were arrested by Aurora police, and ICE has issued detainer requests for two of them.

The four were arrested after a shooting that took place near Nome Street Apartments, one of the apartment buildings in Aurora that was reportedly taken over by armed members of Tren de Aragua.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Tren de Aragua is based mainly in Venezuela and has approximately 5,000 members spread across the South American country and the United States.

According to the House Committee on Homeland Security, there have been at least 7.8 million encounters with illegal aliens at the southwest border during the Biden administration. ICE will assess this on a case-by-case basis.

Jasmine Baehr of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.