Governor Greg Abbott today announced that the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) arrested four confirmed members of Tren de Aragua (TdA) as they attempted to illegally cross the border into Texas on New Year’s Eve.
“Our top priority is the safety and security of Texans, including against the growing threat of Tren de Aragua,” said Governor Abbott. “Earlier this week, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers identified and arrested four vicious TdA gang members attempting to illegally cross the border from Mexico into the state. I designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization, and we will not tolerate this gang operating or gaining a foothold in Texas. Until President Trump is back in the White House to secure our border, Texas will continue to hunt down dangerous criminals like TdA and put them behind bars to protect Texans from this vicious gang.”
On December 31, 2024, DPS troopers working on Operation Lone Star in Val Verde County encountered a group of 22 illegal immigrants from Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela. 11 were arrested for criminal trespass, with the family groups being referred to Border Patrol for processing.
Among those arrested for criminal trespass, a group of nine Venezuelan nationals claimed they were heading to San Antonio, Irving, and Corsicana, Texas, and were interviewed by DPS Special Agents. Based on their interviews as well as their tattoos, Special Agents suspected four of the males may have been TdA members and upon receiving consent to search their cell phones were able to verify their gang affiliation through social media apps.
The confirmed TdA gang members arrested on New Year’s Eve include Segundo Ocando-Mejia, 39; Pedro Luis Salazar-Cuervo, 27; Antonio Joe Urruttia-Rojas, 18; and Levi Jesus Urrutia-Blanco, 18. Ocando-Mejia had tattoos on his shoulders indicating he may hold rank or leadership within the gang.
In September, Governor Abbott launched a comprehensive, statewide operation to aggressively target TdA to disrupt their criminal operations and deny their foothold in Texas. The Governor also designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization and directed DPS to elevate them to a Tier 1 gang and to create a TdA Strike Team to identify and arrest TdA gang members.
Additionally, Governor Abbott announced that his Public Safety Office is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of known or suspected members of TdA gang members who have been or are involved in criminal activity. Learn more on how to report TdA activity here.
