Law enforcement officials arrested 20 people during a Saturday raid on an apartment complex under the “control” of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang in San Antonio, Texas.
The New York Post reported that Texas police officials raided the apartment complex, which was mostly vacant, as Tren de Aragua gang members were using the complex to expand the Venezuelan gang’s influence throughout the state. The outlet noted that Gov. Greg Abbott (R-Texas) recently designated Tren De Aragua as a “terrorist” organization.
During a press conference, San Antonio Police Department Chief William McManus said that a police task force had raided and investigated 300 empty units at San Antonio’s Palatia Apartments. The police department said they had been notified by concerned citizens regarding suspicious activity, such as human trafficking, narcotic sales, and threats to apartment residents.
McManus told reporters, “We had information that members of the transnational gang Tren de Agua were in control of the area and committing various crimes.” The police chief noted that of the 20 individuals arrested in the apartment complex raid, four individuals have been confirmed as Tren de Aragua members, including an “enforcer.”
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According to The New York Post, 19 of the individuals have been charged for various crimes, and several of the individuals arrested on Saturday had been previously wanted by law enforcement officials. News4SA reported that members of Tren de Aragua have been linked to multiple crimes throughout the city, including extortion, prostitution, and cocaine trafficking.
The New York Post reported that the apartment complex raid, known as “Operation Aurora,” was executed by the San Antonio Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Texas Department of Public Safety, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and other officials in an effort to stop the Venezuelan gang from continuing to grow in the United States.
While McManus told reporters that the Tren de Aragua gang has been in San Antonio for “several months,” the police chief said, “We assure the community and members of the public that we are committed to their safety and on top of this TDA issue that seems to have gone very public lately.”
Issuing a warning to members of Tren de Aragua on Saturday, McManus said, “We are onto you. We are coming for you and we know where you are.”
