A bloodthirsty Venezuelan super gang that has been called the “epitome of evil” has spread to another American city, as Texas police announced the arrest of dozens of people linked to the Aragua Train.
In a predawn operation, a small army of 150 officers raided an apartment complex that Aragua Train members had taken over on Saturday in San Antonio, arresting 19 people, four of whom were confirmed gang members.
TdA, as the South American gang known to authorities as having risen to power selling drugs, child prostitution, sex trafficking and exploitation of its own countrymen, crossed into the US in recent years when a wave of Venezuelans arrived in the US. during the Biden Administration.
Designated a transnational criminal organization by the United States in July, gang members have taken up residence in American cities, unleashing a wave of crime in cities such as Aurora, New York and Chicago.
“This is everywhere: it’s Houston, it’s Dallas, it’s every major city, and this is the scary part. These criminal elements, their tentacles are getting stronger and longer,” local Congressman Tony Gonzales told the DailyMail.
Police arrested 19 people in connection with the Aragua Train activity in San Antonio on Saturday morning
More than 150 law enforcement officers from the federal government, Texas DPS and local police participated in the morning raid.
In San Antonio, mobsters occupied empty units at the Palatia Apartments and used the spaces to sell drugs and human trafficking, Police Chief William McManus confirmed.
“A TdA member is a confirmed ‘executor’ of that gang,” 15 of whom were in the country illegally, the city’s top cop added.
McManus explained that the TdA had been operating in San Antonio for several months, with its members dressed in red and with exposed tattoos.
The gang had set up shop in an area of the city near the Migrant Resource Center, a shelter run by the city of San Antonio and Catholic Charities that has taken in more than 119,000 migrants since the city began tracking them in 2023.
An undercover officer operating at the migrant shelter was able to gather intelligence that led to the operation. fox san antonio reported.
Gang members occupied unoccupied units of an apartment complex in San Antonio
At least four of those arrested on Saturday have been confirmed as gang members.
The police chief added that the authorities knew of other places where criminals operated and would make more arrests.
“We know who you are and we’re coming after you,” McManus said. ‘This is just the first place we are attacking. We have other places we are going to attack.
TdA became popular nationally in August after a video surfaced of armed members breaking into an apartment.
In that Denver suburb, the gang took over at least three apartment complexes, although attorneys for the properties alleged there were many more apartments in the hands of the gang.
An explosive report from a law firm representing one of the apartment management companies: assaults, murder threats, extortion and even child prostitution.
“Prostitution is a big source of income, and the thing about prostitution is that it attracts men who they can then sell drugs to,” Fabbricatore explained.
‘These guys come in, meet these Johns and shake them down. Let’s see if they want to buy drugs. They’ve started moving these girls, and if you walk into these apartments, you’ll see these young girls. It’s bad.’
TdA has been linked to crimes across the United States, including the beating of a police officer in New York City and several violent robberies in Colorado.