HOUSTON — Texas has declared a war of sorts on the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), and the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) says one of its members was arrested in Houston.
DPS, working with Houston police and ICE, arrested Jorgenys Robertson Cova, 32, on Monday. The arrest came after a DPS special agent was tipped off that a TdA member was living in the Houston area in late September. DPS said Cova was scheduled for an asylum hearing on Oct. 7.
DPS said Cova was wanted in Pearland, Texas, for theft and that the tattoos on his arms included a five-point crown and a clock and roses — known TdA markings.
Cova was booked into the Brazoria County Jail.
On Oct. 5, a multi-agency gang bust in San Antonio resulted in 19 arrests, which included four members of TdA and a man described as a Tda “enforcer.”
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.
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 TdA is a dangerous criminal organization that poses a threat to the entire county. The governor labeled it 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.