Tren de Aragua gang members caught crossing Texas border on New Year's Eve

In Texas, on New Year's Eve, authorities apprehended four individuals suspected of being part of the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang. The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) intercepted these individuals while they were trying to cross the border from Mexico. This arrest took place during Operation Lone Star in Val Verde County, where DPS troopers encountered a group of 22 migrants from several Latin American countries, including Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru. After their arrest, nine of the migrants were identified as Venezuelan nationals. The four detained suspects were confirmed to be members of the Tren de Aragua gang, which has gained notoriety for its violent activities, including drug trafficking, extortion, and kidnapping. The four men arrested are Segundo Ocando-Mejia, Pedro Luis Salazar-Cuervo, Antonio Joe Urruttia-Rojas, and Levi Jesus Urrutia-Blanco. Ocando-Mejia, the eldest of the group at 39 years old, exhibited tattoos that suggested he might hold a significant position within the gang. This event reflects ongoing concerns about the growing influence of the Tren de Aragua gang and its criminal activities across the region, which have extended beyond Venezuela into several countries in Latin America, including Mexico and now the United States. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has publicly stated his intent to combat the influence of such criminal organizations within the state, having previously designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization. He emphasized the importance of border security and the protection of Texans from these threats. In light of these developments, Operation Lone Star aims to enhance border security and identify and arrest individuals associated with suspected criminal enterprises at the border. Local law enforcement, under Abbott's directive, has increased their efforts to prevent gang members from infiltrating Texas. The arrest of these four individuals fits into a larger narrative of combating organized crime in the region and seeking justice for the victims of violence caused by these gangs.