Texas officials on Monday designated a Venezuelan gang, the Tren de Aragua, a “foreign terrorist group,” fueling Donald Trump’s argument that many migrants are arriving in the United States after being released from prisons in Latin America.
Venezuela “has released prisoners on one condition: ‘You leave Venezuela and don’t come back,'” Mike Banks, Texas’ top border official, said at a news conference.
The official said the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris is encouraging these criminals to come to the United States by implementing what he denounced as an “open borders policy.”
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who was present at the press conference, declared the Tren de Aragua (Aragua Train in English) a “foreign terrorist organization.”
The classification will allow authorities to pursue the gang under anti-terrorism legislation and authorises the creation of a special team to combat the group.
The Tren de Aragua is a criminal organization originating from Venezuela that engages in extortion, murder, drug trafficking and human trafficking in several Latin American countries, according to authorities.
Due to the deep political and economic crisis in Venezuela, many migrants are allowed to enter the United States and seek asylum.
But immigration advocates say the Biden administration is imposing undue restrictions on people wanting to cross the border and seek asylum.
The Texas move comes a week after a presidential debate in which Trump baselessly accused Harris of allowing millions of undocumented immigrants to cross into the United States from Mexico after being released from prisons or mental health facilities.
