In a major law enforcement operation, over 40 individuals were taken into custody in Hays County, suspected of being linked to the Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan transnational gang known as TdA. This action follows what the FBI describes as a year-long investigation involving multiple agencies. On Tuesday, these individuals were rounded up near a residence after a tip-off to a potential gathering of gang members, FOX 7 Austin reported.
According to the FBI, narcotics were seized during the raid where the arrests took place. Among those arrested are minors, and charges are pending as the investigation continues. The FBI has worked alongside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD), and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), among other federal, state, and local partners in this far-reaching investigation into TdA's activities. In September, Texas Governor Greg Abbott labeled TDA a terrorist organization and has been vocal about his administration's intentions to counter gang operations in Texas, KXAN reports.
With the search warrant carried out by the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Special Response Team, Hays County became the focal point of what appears to be an expanding effort to dismantle the structures TdA has established within the state. "The recent entry and expansion of the vicious Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, is a dangerous and deadly problem facing our state and nation," Governor Abbott said at a September press conference.
Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra confirmed the role of the county’s sheriff's office in assisting the search while noting that the FBI was the lead agency in the preceding investigation. Becerra expressed intent to demand more information from federal agencies involved, to keep the local community informed. “I will be reaching out to the federal agencies that were present in Hays County to gather more information, so I can provide our concerned residents with a clearer and more transparent explanation of the situation,” he stated, promising transparency to residents with concerns over the operation's impact on the local community.
