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Venezuelan Tren de Aragua Gang Seizes At Least Four Apartment Complexes in San Antonio, Texas
Charlie Kirk Staff
10/18/2024
The notorious Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua (TdA), has reportedly taken control of at least four apartment complexes in San Antonio, Texas, as it continues to expand its reach into the United States. This follows similar incidents in Aurora, Colorado, where the gang has also seized residential buildings.
TdA, known for drug smuggling and sex trafficking operations across South America, has gained a foothold in the U.S. in part due to more lenient border policies under the Biden-Harris administration, including softened asylum regulations and reduced deportations of illegal immigrants charged with violent crimes, according to the Daily Mail.
While ABC News’ Martha Raddatz initially suggested that only a “handful” of apartment complexes in Aurora had been taken over by the gang, recent reports indicate that at least four complexes in Texas are facing the same issue. In one instance, law enforcement officers raided the Palatia Apartments in San Antonio last week, arresting 19 individuals, four of whom were confirmed to be linked to the gang.
The Daily Mail reported that TdA members had been occupying the Palatia Apartments for approximately five to six months, using the units to rent to other illegal immigrants, run drug operations, and facilitate prostitution. Other apartment complexes in the region have also been infiltrated by the gang, though their specific locations remain undisclosed due to ongoing investigations.
The raid at Palatia occurred early in the morning, with some residents waking up to drones and SWAT teams breaking down doors at 5 a.m. One female resident shared her experience: “Every department was here. They were wearing helmets and body armor.”
Her husband, who went outside in his underwear, was confronted by law enforcement. “They asked, ‘Who are you?’ He said, ‘I live here.’ They asked, ‘Where are you from?’ He said Pennsylvania, and that was the end of it,” she recounted. Police searched 300 units during the operation, ultimately forcing out the 19 suspects.
According to San Antonio’s police chief, William McManus, one of the suspects is a known “enforcer” for the gang, and 15 of those arrested were in the country illegally. Residents also reported that the gang had been involved in human trafficking, forcing women and children into prostitution, and had threatened both residents and staff at the complex.
“They don’t care to be discreet about who they are,” one complex worker told the Daily Mail. “I think in their country, being part of that group is a big deal, so maybe they feel it’s a big deal here, too.”
