DPS says Venezuelan gang members were killed in the San Antonio bust

SAN ANTONIO – Nineteen people were arrested in a multi-agency gang raid in San Antonio on Saturday, including members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

According to the DPS, the operation occurred at the Palatia apartment complex and involved more than 150 officers and agents, including members of the San Antonio Police Department, FBI, DPS, HIS and US Border Patrol.

DPS said the operation stemmed from reports of human trafficking, drug trafficking and threats against housing staff.

DPS said undercover agents from San Antonio learned that members of the TdA were “taking over” vacant homes and committing crimes.

Nineteen people – 16 Venezuelans and three US citizens – were arrested. Of these, DPS said, four Venezuelans were classified as TdA members and one as a TdA enforcer.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took the Venezuelan nationals into custody after processing them at the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.

In September, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a proclamation designating TdA as a foreign terrorist organization. The transnational criminal gang originated in a Venezuelan prison and slowly made its way to the United States in recent years.

Abbott said Tren de Aragua is a dangerous criminal organization that poses a threat to the entire county. The governor described TdA as a Level 1 threat.

“What sets this group apart is the level of violence,” said former DEA agent Was Tabor. “They are aggressive, they are hungry and they know no boundaries because they have been allowed to spread their wings without a confrontation with law enforcement.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.