Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that four confirmed members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) were apprehended attempting to illegally enter the United States via the southern border. The arrests occurred on New Year’s Eve in Val Verde County during an operation conducted by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

The four gang members were part of a group of 22 suspected illegal migrants, originating from Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela. Eleven of the 22 were arrested for criminal trespass, while the remaining individuals, identified as family groups, were referred to U.S. Border Patrol for processing. The TdA members were traveling among nine Venezuelan nationals who claimed they were heading to San Antonio, Irving, and Corsicana, Texas.

Governor Abbott highlighted the growing threat posed by Tren de Aragua, stating, “Our top priority is the safety and security of Texans, including against the growing threat of Tren de Aragua.” He confirmed that DPS special agents verified the gang affiliation of the four individuals through tattoos and social media apps on their phones.

One of the apprehended gang members, Ocando-Mejia, was noted to have tattoos on his shoulders that may indicate a leadership role within the gang, according to Abbott.

Governor Abbott has classified Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization. In September, he launched a statewide operation to target the gang’s criminal activities, elevating them to a Tier 1 gang priority for law enforcement. As part of this initiative, a dedicated TdA Strike Team was established to identify and arrest gang members.

“We will not tolerate the gang operating or gaining a foothold in Texas,” Abbott declared. The gang has been linked to numerous violent crimes, including murders, assaults, robberies, shootings of police officers, and gun smuggling into migrant shelters. A Homeland Security memo cited in November indicated that TdA operates in at least 16 states across the U.S.

The Texas Public Safety Office is now offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of known or suspected TdA members involved in criminal activity. Abbott emphasized Texas’s commitment to hunting down dangerous criminals like TdA, stating, “Until President Trump is back in the White House to secure our border, Texas will continue to hunt down dangerous criminals like TdA and put them behind bars to protect Texans from this vicious gang.”

Fox News reports the arrests come on the heels of a crackdown on TdA in other parts of the country. Just days earlier, 22 members of the gang were arrested in two raids in New York City. Some of the individuals were discovered hiding in a Bronx apartment building adjacent to a daycare center, underscoring the gang’s ability to embed itself within local communities, particularly in sanctuary cities.