A high-impact raid in San Antonio targeting the Venezuelan crime syndicate Tren de Aragua (TdA) has led to the arrest of at least 140 illegal immigrants tied to a sprawling sex and human trafficking operation, officials confirmed Monday.
The operation, led by the Texas Department of Public Safety in coordination with federal and local law enforcement, is part of a broader crackdown on transnational criminal organizations ordered by President Donald Trump in an executive action signed on January 20.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott praised the successful takedown, noting that the raid was a major step in defending Texas communities from foreign criminal influence. “This is exactly why we are taking the fight directly to the cartels and transnational gangs that are destroying lives and exploiting our borders,” Abbott said in a statement.
Most of the illegal immigrants arrested during the operation hailed from Venezuela, Honduras, Mexico, and other South American nations, according to ICE officials. The suspects are now in federal custody and will face charges related to immigration violations, human trafficking, and gang affiliation.
As part of the new offensive, the federal government announced the creation of a Homeland Security Task Force to dismantle drug cartels, foreign terrorist organizations, and organized crime networks that specialize in trafficking drugs, people, and illicit money across U.S. borders.
DEA Houston Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen said the new task force would allow for more aggressive and coordinated action. “The Homeland Security Task Force enables the DEA to bring its sophisticated investigative techniques to the table,” he said. “We look forward to working hand in hand with our federal and state counterparts in bringing down drug traffickers pumping poison into our neighborhoods and devastating our communities.”
The raid targeted criminal elements affiliated with Tren de Aragua, a violent Venezuelan gang that has expanded its influence across Latin America and into the United States amid the Biden-era border crisis. The group is known for its brutality, controlling human trafficking routes, extorting migrants, and embedding within cartel operations.
Democrat Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas said he had requested more information from the Justice Department regarding the San Antonio operation. He warned against overreach, citing past raids where U.S. citizens and non-criminal immigrants were allegedly detained.
But Trump administration officials have pushed back, pointing to a spike in violent crime and cartel activity since the southern border deteriorated under lax enforcement in recent years.
In a related crackdown in Houston during the recent 43-day government shutdown, ICE agents arrested over 3,500 criminal illegal aliens, including:
13 convicted murderers
51 child predators
67 sex offenders
23 gang members, including an MS-13 member linked to a triple homicide in Dallas
President Trump has repeatedly emphasized that open borders fuel the rise of violent foreign gangs and organized crime inside the U.S. Sunday’s raid, carried out under his executive authority, reflects a major escalation in efforts to eliminate that threat.
With the formation of the Homeland Security Task Force and more aggressive raids already underway, officials say this is just the beginning of a full-spectrum law enforcement push to root out transnational crime and reclaim communities across the country.
The post Texas Raid Targets Venezuelan Gang Tren de Aragua, Nets 140 Illegal Immigrants in San Antonio Crackdown appeared first on Real News Now.
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