EL PASO, Texas – About 20 members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua were recently arrested in an operation that involved the closure of a hotel in El Paso, Texas, after reports of numerous illegal activities, the Department of Public Safety of Texas (DPS).
DPS reported that there have been numerous encounters and arrests of confirmed or suspected criminal gang members throughout the state of Texas.
In a recent operation carried out at the Gateway Hotel in El Paso, more than 20 alleged gang members were arrested and accused of human trafficking, prostitution, possession of illegal drugs and other crimes.
Earlier this year, more than 100 alleged gang members were arrested on riot charges in connection with the March 21, 2024, incident near Gate 36 in El Paso.
In the West Texas region of DPS, a confirmed gang member was arrested for human trafficking.
“In Houston, we have charges for crimes related to drugs and human trafficking. There has also been an encounter with a law enforcement agency, but there was no arrest in that case,” they reported in a statement.
They also reported 13 encounters and arrests in the Dallas area, including four in Irving.
“Many of those found in the Dallas area are immigration violations, one was for robbery and another for evading arrest. There are a few other encounters with police that did not result in an arrest,” it adds.
In the case of the four in Irving, charges include aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and human trafficking.
“In South Texas, there is a human trafficking charge, and then there have been several encounters with police that did not result in arrests. There have also been two arrests and one encounter in the San Antonio area,” the statement said.
