SAN ANTONIO — A multi-agency gang bust in San Antonio on Saturday netted 19 arrests, including members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), the Texas Department of Public Safety said.

According to DPS, the operation occurred at the Palatia apartment complex and involved more than 150 officers and agents, including members of the San Antonio Police Department, FBI, DPS, HSI and U.S. Border Patrol.

DPS said the operation followed reports of human trafficking, narcotics and threats to apartment staff.

DPS said undercover San Antonio officers learned that members of TdA had “taken over” vacant apartments and were committing crimes.

Nineteen people — 16 Venezuelans and three U.S. citizens — were arrested. Of those, DPS said, four Venezuelans were determined to be members of TdA and one a TdA enforcer.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement took custody of the Venezuelan nationals after they were processed at the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.

In September, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a proclamation designating TdA as a foreign terrorist organization. The transnational criminal gang originated in a Venezuelan prison and slowly made its way to the United States in recent years.

Abbott said that Tren de Aragua is a dangerous criminal organization that poses a threat to the entire county. The governor labeled TdA as a Tier 1 threat. 

“What sets this group apart is the level of violence,” former DEA agent Was Tabor said. “They’re aggressive, they’re hungry and they don’t know any boundaries because they’ve been allowed to spread their wings without any confrontation from law enforcement until now.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.