The Texas Public Policy Foundation applauds Gov. Abbott for officially designating Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization and ensuring law enforcement resources are available to combat the TdA threat. Venezuela does not share a criminal database with the U.S., so under today’s announcement, “Texas law enforcement will now be creating a database from scratch,” according to Gov. Abbott.
“TdA is emerging as a significant threat to cities across Texas. This Venezuelan gang, notorious for its extreme violence and involvement in human trafficking, has expanded its operations across South America, engaging in urban terrorism, drug trafficking, kidnapping, and money laundering,” said TPPF Senior Fellow Ammon Blair.
Embedded within the influx of Venezuelan migrants, TdA members exploit the chaos at our border and this administration’s ‘Lawful Pathways’ programs to infiltrate the U.S. The challenge for Border Patrol and our law enforcement is compounded by the difficulty in obtaining criminal histories from Venezuelan illegal aliens unless they have records with Interpol or prior criminal activity in the United States. This gap in information leaves our communities vulnerable to the hidden dangers posed by these Transnational Criminal Organizations.
“After allowing millions of illegal aliens into Texas and our nation, our own federal government has ceded our communities to our adversaries, but Texas must continue to take a stand. Every tool that Texas has at its disposal should be used in making Texas the least desirable state for illegal immigration and criminal activity,” said Selene Rodriguez, Campaign Director for Secure & Sovereign Texas. “There is still much work to be done in the effort to secure our state, and we look forward to working with the Texas Legislature to enact legislation that achieves this goal.”
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