Texas Governor Greg Abbott is taking a strong stand against the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), and during Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to Houston, he made a point of publicly urging her to designate the group as a foreign terrorist organization. The Governor’s demand comes in the wake of a tragic event where 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was victimized and killed by alleged TdA members, as reported by the Texas Governor’s Office.
Abbott criticized the Vice President by stating, “Vice President Kamala Harris conveniently claims she cares about securing our border, yet her open border policies have allowed over 11 million illegal immigrants and dangerous criminals, like Tren de Aragua, into our country in the last four years—putting the lives of every American at risk.” He invoked the memory of young Jocelyn Nungaray to press the federal government into action, stressing the urgency and moral obligation of this designation as a measure of justice and protection for American citizens. The Governor, in addition to calling for federal support, has implemented Texas-led initiatives to combat the gang’s presence, including a reward program offering up to $5,000 for information leading to the capture of TdA affiliates and instigating a collaboration with local and federal law enforcement to take down members within the state, as per Office of the Texas Governor.
A reflection of Governor Abbott’s proactive measures is the operation targeting TdA, an operation he launched last month, with Texas Department of Public Safety officers recently apprehending a suspected TdA gang member in Houston. The Governor’s office outlines a comprehensive strategy, including the designation of TdA as a foreign terrorist group at the state level, instructions to local law enforcement on elevated gang prioritization, and the establishment of specialized strike teams dedicated to dismantling TdA’s operations in Texas…