Scores of illegal immigrants belonging to bloodthirsty Venezuelan street gangs were arrested at the southern border this week, just as lawmakers were sounding the alarm about gangs, according to the Border Patrol’s top official.
Border Patrol Commissioner Jason Owens announced that 10 migrants affiliated with Tren de Aragua were arrested across Texas.
“Please keep an eye on this gang,” the chief warned. “Their criminal activities pose a serious threat to our communities!”
Border state lawmaker warns of bloodthirsty Venezuelan gangs invading U.S.: ‘They have no rules’
This photo shows two gang members who were apprehended at the southern border. (U.S. Border Patrol)
He attached photos showing tattoos of gang members, including one that read, “Salute or shoot.”
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has previously distributed intelligence bulletins to agents identifying gang tattoos and identities.
The TdA is said to specialize in extortion, kidnapping, murder and sex trafficking. Federal authorities have warned that the gang is trying to establish itself in the United States, and police have already linked it to organized crime. The FBI has also warned that the gang could join forces with the bloodthirsty MS-13.
For more coverage on the border security crisis, click here
The gang, known as TdA, came into the spotlight earlier this year when it was revealed that the brother of a suspect in the murder of Georgia student Laken Riley had ties to the gang.
Republican Rep. Tony Gonzalez of Texas told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the gang is “sparking violence across Latin America.”
“We are currently seeing an increase in illegal immigrants with ties to Tren de Aragua, and until we get this border crisis under control, we will continue to see more and more bad actors exploiting loopholes in our immigration system,” he said. “Border Patrol agents are working as hard as they can to secure our border and keep criminals out, but the only way we’re going to truly solve this crisis is to crack down on the root cause of the problem: illegal immigration.”
In a previous interview with Fox, he said the gang “will become the dominant international crime organization across the United States. I have no doubt about that.”
Opinion: Venezuelan gangs bring greater brutality and terror to our streets
Meanwhile, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has called for TdA to be designated a transnational criminal organization so that sanctions can be frozen against gang members and assets.
Click here to get the FOX News app
“If we do not act, our cities will very likely resemble those Latin American communities in which the Tren de Aragua came to power: places where people do not go out at night, extortion is part of daily life and where fear of brutality rules the streets, rather than respect for law and order,” he warned.
