Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced rewards for information that can lead to the identification and arrest of suspected members of the Venezuelan-born Tren de Aragua gang.
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Concretely, the Governor's Public Safety Office is offering up to $5,000 for the information. Those submitting tips can do so through the Texas Crime Stoppers hotline or online through the Texas Department of Public Safety. All of them are anonymous regardless of the submission method.
"I am announcing a reward for any information that leads to the identification and arrest of known or suspected members of this gang who have been or are involved in heinous crimes. Texas will not let these thugs use our state as a base of operations to terrorize our citizens," Abbott said in a statement when communicating the rewards.
The announcement comes a few days after the governor declared the gang a "foreign terrorist organization," a decision that allows his administration to increase resources dedicated to dealing with the group, including the creation of a dedicated task force.
El Paso Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens said this week that a confirmed gang member was arrested last week. He did not give further details about the arrest but added that USBP agents apprehended 70 gang members nationwide. "Tren de Aragua is known for murder, drug trafficking, sex crimes, extortion, and other violent acts," Owens said.
As encounters continue to rise, Mexican border authorities remain on high alert. Members of Tren de Aragua have been been linked to three homicides in Central Mexico, allegedly killing two women as well as one of their own gang members.
In an attempt to combat the gang, Chihuahua's government invited a Chilean gang expert to brief its police commanders on the tactics used by Tren de Aragua members to infiltrate countries outside of Venezuela. The criminal group has recently expanded to other South American countries, including Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Chile.
The U.S. Treasury Department designated Tren de Aragua as a transnational criminal organization in July, a decision that allows law enforcement to allocate more resources to fight its increasing activities in the country. It also allows them to impose sanctions on its members, making it easier to freeze their assets and restrict their travel.
Originally published on The Latin Times
