SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Information provided by a law enforcement task force established by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reveals more than 50 confirmed members of the violent Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang were arrested during a raid executed at an illicit nightclub in San Antonio on November 16. The Trump administration designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year.
On Tuesday, the South Texas Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) issued an update to initial reports regarding the early Sunday morning raid that occurred at 5939 San Pedro Avenue at a makeshift nightclub. The HSTF says the raid resulted in the detention of 143 illegal aliens who were taken into ICE custody. Of those, the task force indicated 51 were confirmed Tren de Aragua gang members.
Authorities say the operation was conducted to address public safety concerns in an area that had been reported as a gathering point for people suspected of being associated with the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang. Reports included possible criminal activity at the location involving narcotics distribution, unlawful weapons possession, and human trafficking, according to the task force.
The nationalities of the illegal aliens taken into custody included 98 citizens of Venezuela, 21 Honduran nationals, 14 Mexican citizens, four Cuban citizens, two Ecuadorian nationals, one national from Nicaragua, one citizen from Peru, one from Guatemala, and one Salvadoran. According to the task force, 25 suspects arrested had criminal records in the United States, including 13 felony offenses and 12 misdemeanors.
In addition to those arrested for illegal presence in the United States, authorities say three firearms and cocaine were seized during the raid. More than $30,000 in cash was also found during the operation.
As reported by Breitbart Texas, two Democrat lawmakers from Texas demanded answers from the FBI and DHS about the raid and expressed their concerns about the illegal aliens arrested during the early morning raid at the illegally operated nightclub.
Congressmen Joaquin Castro (D-TX) and Greg Cassar (D-TX) authored a letter to several senior Trump administration officials last week demanding evidence used to justify obtaining the search warrant for the raid and other information about the investigation into the criminal activity of those detained during the operation.
In the letter, Castro and Cassar indicated the law enforcement operation was concerning, saying, “Due to the numerous reports this year on agents of Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and other agencies overstepping their legal authority, we are extremely concerned about the legality of the detainments and the due process of the detainees. Any operation of this scale demands full transparency regarding the basis for the raid, which agencies participated, and the status of those detained.”
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X @RandyClarkBBTX.
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