Will Texas become the new battleground against a dangerous Venezuelan gang?

SAN ANTONIO — We’re learning more and more about the Venezuelan street gang that has come into the sights of Texas law enforcement.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared the Tren de Aragua gang a foreign terrorist organization.

“The worst,” Abbott said of the gang.

Earlier this month, Abbott announced the arrival of strike teams and thousands of dollars in rewards for information leading to the identification and arrest of members of Tren de Aragua.

Law enforcement leaders say they are trying to prevent the international gang from gaining a foothold in Texas.

“What we know about this organization is that it is run very well, 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 the criminal enterprise typically starts with crimes that fly under the radar, including organized theft and sexual exploitation.

“The next step is gun crimes,” Jimenez said. “It becomes a hit man. It becomes a shooting. And before you know it, they own and control the criminal element in the city.”

Intelligence documents obtained by the I-Team show that there are self-proclaimed gang members. People with the gang’s signature tattoos, which include a nautical compass, an eye, a rose and a clock face, have been arrested at the city’s Migrant Resource Center for crimes including theft, human trafficking and possession of false government documents.

Some, including prominent members, had previously been arrested when they entered the country illegally and were subsequently released by border authorities.

In March, for example, authorities arrested Aderbis Segundo Pirela Pirela in New Braunfels. Sources say the 29-year-old was on Colombian and Interpol’s most wanted lists in connection with murder, drug trafficking and extortion.

Pirela had ties to the Satanas Gang, which according to the criminal intelligence service InSight is linked to Tren de Aragua.

According to HSI, Pirela first entered the country illegally in January and was arrested in El Paso and released on his own recognizance. He was later revealed to be a wanted man considered extremely dangerous.

Jimenez notes that the vast majority of people entering the country are not like Pirela, but he believes it is the one percent of people that people should be most concerned about.

“It’s about that one percent of people that we have no biometric data, no criminal history, no fingerprints, no iris scans, and we don’t know who they are,” Jimenez said.

The Texas Anti-Gang Unit’s gang activity map shows the group is still active in San Antonio, with additional members arrested in San Antonio this week.

If you have information about the gang, please contact the Texas Crime Stoppers Hotline or submit a tip online through the DPS website.