Venezuelan gang’s drug operation shut down by Houston cops
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Law enforcement officials have apprehended five individuals allegedly connected to the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua following a major drug seizure at a Houston apartment, where authorities discovered narcotics valued at $1 million alongside numerous weapons.
During a Wednesday press conference, Harris County Precinct 1 Constable Alan Rosen described the operation as the most significant drug confiscation in his department’s history. The suspects allegedly operated what he termed a “drive-thru drug trafficking” enterprise from a northwest Houston apartment complex.
Texas is cracking down on the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
On Monday, I announced Texas' statewide operation to disrupt their criminal operations.
We cannot allow this dangerous gang to go unchecked and gain a foothold in our state.
More: https://t.co/BQABW3r2U3 pic.twitter.com/zPg3lAXqt5
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) September 20, 2024
Texas Department of Public Safety Lieutenant Craig Cummings confirmed the suspects’ links to Tren de Aragua, noting their control over the apartment complex. According to Rosen, the operation served approximately 30 vehicles hourly.
The successful operation resulted from collaboration between Rosen’s office, the DPS Anti-Gang Center, U.S. Marshal Service, and Houston Police Department over a twelve-month period.
The arrests follow Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s establishment of the Texas Anti-Gang Task Force in April 2017, prompted by Houston’s rising gang-related violent crimes. Recently, in September 2024, Abbott classified Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization.
“The recent entry and expansion of the vicious Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, is a dangerous and deadly problem facing our state and nation,” Abbott explained. “Our top focus is the safety and security of all Texans.”
In an exclusive interview with Breitbart Texas, Abbott said, “If you look at the historical analysis written about them (TdA), they’re in a business operation. What they’re going to find is, if they’re coming in the state of Texas, they’re losing money. It’s a losing money proposition in the state of Texas, and they’re going to realize they got to take their business elsewhere.”
šØBREAKING:šØOne of the Venezuelan gang members in Aurora CO has been identified as notorious leader Samurielo Hydriquez of Caracas.
He is wanted in his home country on 54 suspected murders and 32 missing persons cases. pic.twitter.com/P4sqekrugG
— š ±ļøeal ā”ļø, 1ļøā£nc (@StealRite_Blink) September 2, 2024
The raid yielded substantial quantities of illegal substances including methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, MDMA, mushrooms, and black tar heroin. Additionally, authorities seized 24 firearms, three of which were reported stolen.
Investigators discovered a religious shrine within one apartment, which Constable Rosen suggested might have been established to ward off law enforcement attention.
Expressing concern for local residents, Rosen emphasized the operation’s impact on families, particularly children, who witnessed the constant flow of drug-related activities in their neighborhood.
