Texas declares Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua a terrorist organization

On Monday, the Texas government declared the criminal gang, Tren de Aragua a terrorist organization and embraced the discourse of Republican candidate Donald Trump, who claims that numerous illegal immigrants come to the United States from countries that opened their prisons.

Tren de Aragua, considered a transnational gang originating in Venezuela, operates in several South American countries and is linked to extortion, homicides and drug trafficking. According to Texas authorities, they are also involved in migrant smuggling.

Due to the political, economic and social crisis in Venezuela, its citizens access a program that allows them to reach the United States and initiate an asylum process. But, for Texas border czar Mike Banks, "Venezuela has released prisoners on one condition: go away and don't come back (...) It is not surprising that we have a gang problem in the United States," and blamed President Joe Biden's "open borders" policy.

At his side, in a press conference this Monday in Houston, Texas governor and Trump ally Greg Abbott declared Tren de Aragua a "foreign terrorist organization," and announced a team to pursue what he considered a "Mara Salvatrucha on steroids."

He reported that more than 20 people were recently arrested at a hotel in El Paso, and it is "suspected" that "many of them are members of Tren de Aragua."

Abbott's announcement comes a week after Trump blamed Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris for allowing illegal immigrants to enter from prisons or mental institutions during the presidential debate. 

Abbott justified the announcement in the face of an "increase in the arrival of military-age youths from Venezuela who appear to have the characteristics of a member of Tren de Aragua." He showed images of tattoos allegedly linked to the gang, such as a star, a train, an AK-47 rifle, the silhouette of Michael Jordan with the number 23 or the name of a Latin trap song.

In July, the U.S. State Department admitted that the organization's activity had spread into the country and offered a reward for three of its members who could be in Colombia and Venezuela, including its leader, Hector Rusthenford Guerrero, "Niño Guerrero."

Recently in Colorado, police arrested eight individuals whom they labeled as members of Tren de Aragua and held responsible for committing acts of violence.