HOUSTON, Texas — A joint task force of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials led to the arrest of 16 members of the Venezuelan “Anti-Tren” gang, a spinoff faction of the Tren de Aragua foreign terrorist organization. Officials called it the “largest takedown of suspected Anti-Tren members and associates by the FBI, so far.”
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas Nicholas J. Ganjei wrote, “The Southern District’s twin priorities are securing our border and the eradication of violent crime. This case implicates both.”
In an announcement on Monday, Ganjei said law enforcement officers with the FBI Houston Field Office, DEA, U.S. Marshals, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, Texas Department of Public Safety, Harris County Sheriff’s Office, and the Houston Police Department teamed up to arrest 16 members of the Anti-Tren gang. He said the charges, which include drug trafficking and weapons offenses, were filed against former members and associates of Tren de Aragua (TdA)…