EL PASO, Texas ( KTSM ) – District Attorney Bill Hicks addressed the growing presence of the dangerous Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, also known as TDA, during a press conference held on Thursday, Sept. 18.
Hicks’ statement follows Governor Greg Abbott’s declaration of the gang as a foreign terrorist organization, directing the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to increase efforts against TDA operations in the state.
Hicks expressed concern that the transnational criminal organization is using El Paso as a stepping stone to spread across the United States.
“El Paso is not ground zero for TDA activity. We have what we believe to be TDA activity in El Paso, but so does Dallas. So does Houston. So does Colorado. So other communities are experiencing TDA activity,” Hicks said.
The district attorney emphasized that Tren de Aragua differs from other transnational criminal organizations, making them a unique challenge for law enforcement.
“We do not have a criminal gang database to identify who is and who is not a TDA gang member. As the governor mentioned, the Texas Department of Public Safety is going to initiate a from-scratch gang database,” Hicks said.