(NewsNation) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced new efforts to tighten border security, specifically targeting the Tren de Aragua gang from Venezuela.
On Monday, Abbott announced that he is designating Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization, which will allow the state to use the power of the courts to help their operations and use asset forfeiture to seize goods and belongings from the gang.
Abbott also said the state will be doing all it can to keep gang members in jail longer.
When asked why he is taking action now given he has spent 3 1/2 years talking about border security, Abbott said the action was taken because of an uptick in crime involving gang members.
He specifically cited an El Paso, Texas, hotel, the Gateway Hotel, which has since been closed down. Last week, the county attorney brought forward an injunction on the hotel, saying there was gang activity there, including what they believe to be a prostitution ring.
The governor said the state went in and performed operations and arrested 20 suspected Tren de Aragua members as the hotel was being closed down.
The state will use anti-gang units to go after the group, something Abbott has touted as a success. When he entered office, Texas had one anti-gang unit, but now he says they are expanding to at least nine.
“I signed laws that provide more than $100 million to support these anti-gang centers over just the next two years,” Abbott said. “To more directly target TDA, I directed DPS to elevate TDA to a Tier 1 gang, the worst of the worst.”
Texas’ Department of Public Safety will work with a network of local, state and federal partners to create a database to help identify Tren de Aragua members. One big challenge right now is the difficulty in determining who might be connected to the group.
Some identifiers include military-age men and certain types of clothing and tattoos. The goal is to match up what they know with what has been found in other areas where the gang is present.
The state will be beefing up resources and support to go after the Tren de Aragua gang members and keep them from getting a stronghold in Texas.
The governor says they have already seen beginning efforts that indicate the gang is setting up shop in Texas, pointing to the arrival of men between 18 and 25 brought by the group, which then expands.
One reason Tren de Aragua has been singled out is connections to other incidents, including an assault on a New York police officer. The brother of the suspect in the death of Laken Riley, a Georgia student, is also said to have connections to the group.
