Venezuelan Gang Labeled Terrorists by Texas Governor After Border Incident

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has officially declared the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua a “foreign terrorist organization,” sending a clear message that the state will no longer tolerate criminal gangs crossing the southern border. The announcement came after over 100 suspected members of the violent gang stormed the Texas border earlier this year.

Tren de Aragua is notorious for its brutal illegal activities, including murder, human trafficking, and drug smuggling. The gang has also reportedly seized control of properties in cities like Aurora, Colorado, and El Paso, Texas, turning them into hubs of criminal operations.

“The recent entry and expansion of the vicious Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, is a dangerous and deadly problem facing our state and nation,” Abbott said during a press conference on Monday. He vowed that Texas will aggressively pursue the gang, implementing a new plan to combat its members within the state.

Key elements of Abbott’s plan include:

• A mandatory minimum 10-year sentence for any Tren de Aragua member caught smuggling people into Texas.

• The creation of a statewide database to track known gang members and their associates.

• The expansion of law enforcement operations specifically targeting the gang’s leadership and recruitment networks.

Abbott also referenced an incident in March when over 100 suspected Tren de Aragua members violently crossed the border, leading to riots in El Paso. Video footage shows migrants pushing past barriers, knocking down National Guard members, with one migrant even stomping on a guard’s knee. Despite the violence, hundreds of those involved had their charges dismissed, and many were released.

Since then, Tren de Aragua members have spread across the U.S., wreaking havoc in various states. The gang is suspected of robbing jewelry stores in Colorado and of involvement in the shooting of two New York police officers earlier this year. One of the alleged gunmen, an illegal migrant who crossed into the country last year, had his asylum case dismissed by the Biden administration before reportedly being recruited by the gang.

Governor Abbott’s move to label the gang as terrorists has raised questions about the Biden administration’s handling of the border crisis. The surge in criminal gangs and illegal migrants has been a central theme of former President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign. Trump has criticized the administration for letting dangerous criminals into the country, promising to launch a massive deportation campaign if re-elected.

As the border crisis escalates and dangerous gangs infiltrate communities across the country, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Governor Abbott’s crackdown on Tren de Aragua is a vital step in protecting Texas and America from the growing threats posed by unchecked illegal immigration.

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