Over 40 people with suspected ties to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua were arrested by law enforcement in Hays County, Texas, on Tuesday morning, the Texas Department of Public Safety announced.
“In recent days, [FBI San Antonio] developed intelligence regarding a possible gathering of suspected members or associates of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) in Hays Co. Early Tuesday morning, a search warrant was executed by [Texas Department of Public Safety’s] Special Response Team at a residence in the area — resulting in more than 40 arrests,” Texas DPS posted to X.
“For more than a year, law enforcement — including DPS, FBI, federal, state and local partners — have been investigating suspected TdA members, and Tuesday’s operation is a result of this collaborative effort to make Texas communities safer,” the agency continued.
Charges from Texas and the U.S. government have not been announced yet, as they are still “currently under investigation.” They noted that minors were also taken into custody and there were drug seizures as a result of the search warrant executed.
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The arrests were met with praise from some Texas officials.
“Well done warriors! Federal anti-gang task forces work. Several weeks ago I led a roundtable where we discussed exactly this!” Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, posted on X.
“Right in your backyard. [Texas DPS] is proud to work with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to keep Texans safe and combat TdA,” Texas DPS press secretary Sheridan Nolen tweeted.
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The gang was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the Trump administration, and since then there have been major efforts underway to place suspected members into custody. Many suspected members have been transported to a prison in El Salvador, including 17 who were being held at Guantanamo Bay early this week.
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“In order to keep the American people safe, @POTUS designated the Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” Rubio posted to X last week. “These criminals will no longer terrorize our communities and citizens.”
EXCLUSIVE: EMERGING GOP LEADER BACKING TRUMP’S USE OF ALIEN ENEMIES ACT AT SUPREME COURT
There is an ongoing federal court battle between the Trump administration and U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg over using the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 for some removals. In the case of the 17, it was conducted under Title 8, the White House told Fox News last week.
Fox News’ Stephen Sorace and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
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