Law enforcement in Texas raided a vacant apartment complex in San Antonio that had been taken over by the Tren de Aragua gang, known for criminal activities such as narcotics, human trafficking, and threats to apartment personnel. The San Antonio Police Chief stated that members of the gang were in control of the area and committing various crimes. A total of twenty people were arrested during the raid, including four confirmed Tren de Aragua members, one of whom was considered an “enforcer.” Nineteen of those detained faced charges, some of whom had confirmed warrants.
The arrests were made by a joint team of officers from San Antonio Police Department, Texas Department of Public Safety, Federal Bureau of Investigation, US Customs and Border Protection, Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, and Homeland Security Investigations. The raid was a result of a weeks-long investigation under SAPD’s “Operation Aurora” initiative, aiming to disrupt Tren de Aragua’s influence in Texas. The gang has been operating in the San Antonio area for several months, engaging in activities such as prostitution, selling cocaine, and other violent crimes. Gang members are recognizable by their tattoos and preference for wearing red.
San Antonio’s Police Chief reassured the community of their commitment to safety and addressing the Tren de Aragua issue that had become public. The bust at the vacant apartment complex was law enforcement’s first takedown of a known gang location, with plans to target other locations in the future. Chief McManus warned gang members that law enforcement was aware of their whereabouts and would be coming for them. Tren de Aragua has expanded its criminal activities across the United States, including violent border crossings in Texas, taking over apartments in Colorado, seizing hotels in El Paso, and incidents involving law enforcement in New York.
Tren de Aragua has gained national notoriety for luring women into sex trafficking, exploiting them to pay off smuggling fees. In New York, the gang is attempting to recruit individuals to force women into sex trafficking to fund their activities. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has classified the prison gang as a foreign terrorist organization, highlighting the severity and scope of their criminal operations. The raid at the vacant apartment complex in San Antonio is part of a broader effort to dismantle Tren de Aragua’s presence in Texas and address their involvement in various criminal activities, emphasizing law enforcement’s commitment to public safety and combating organized crime.
