Governor Abbott Demands Vice President Harris Declare Tren De Aragua As A Foreign Terrorist Organization
Governor Greg Abbott today demanded Vice President Kamala Harris declare Tren de Aragua (TdA) as a foreign terrorist organization during her visit to Houston, where Jocelyn Nungaray was brutally murdered by members of the Venezuelan gang.
“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," said Governor Abbott. "In fact, today she’s in Houston, the same city where innocent 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was raped and murdered by two Tren de Aragua gang members. Jocelyn, her family, and all Americans deserve better. Vice President Harris must follow Texas’ lead and designate Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization immediately. But that's just a start. The Biden-Harris Administration must use the full weight of the federal government to eradicate them once and for all—for Jocelyn and for every American.”
Last month, 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 the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to elevate them to a Tier 1 gang and to create a TdA Strike Team to identify and arrest TdA gang members. Working in collaboration with federal and local partners in the Houston Texas Anti-Gang Center, DPS recently captured and arrested a TdA gang member in Houston.
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.
Governor Abbott has taken unprecedented action to secure the border in the wake of the federal government’s inaction, including:
- Securing over $11 billion in funding for Texas' border security efforts
- Launching Operation Lone Star and deploying thousands of Texas National Guard soldiers and DPS troopers
- Building strategic barriers along the Texas-Mexico border to deter and repel illegal immigration, including razor wire, floating marine barriers, and Texas' own border wall
- Taking aggressive action to aid border communities, including busing thousands of migrants to Washington, D.C., New York City, Chicago, Philadelphia, Denver, and Los Angeles
- Designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations to keep Texans safe amid the growing national fentanyl crisis
- Designating the brutal Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization to deny their foothold in the state
- Establishing the Texas Military Base in Eagle Pass to have a permanent presence at the border
- Arresting and jailing criminals trespassing or committing other state crimes along the southern border
- Signing a law to criminalize illegal entry into Texas from a foreign nation
- Signing a law to create a mandatory 10-year minimum prison sentence for human smuggling
- Issuing an executive order authorizing the Texas National Guard and Texas Department of Public Safety to return illegal immigrants to the border at ports of entry
- Signing a law to make it easier to prosecute smugglers bringing people into Texas
- Signing 15 laws cracking down on human trafficking in Texas
- Signing a law enhancing penalties for the manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl
- Signing a sweeping package of border security laws passed during the 88th Regular Legislative Session
- Issuing a disaster declaration for the border crisis
- Issuing an executive order preventing non-governmental entities from transporting illegal immigrants
- Signing memoranda of understanding between the State of Texas and the States of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to enhance border security measures in their states that will prevent illegal immigration from Mexico to Texas
- Activating the Joint Border Security Operations Center (JBSOC) and directing the Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Military Department, and Texas Division of Emergency Management to coordinate Texas’ response to secure the border
Read more on additional actions taken by the Governor to secure the border.