140 people arrested in San Antonio immigration raid
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More than 140 undocumented immigrants were arrested during a raid targeting gang members in San Antonio on Sunday, the FBI confirmed.
Why it matters: The arrests by a new multi-agency task force appear to be the beginning of a larger effort to crack down on international criminal organizations in South Texas.
State of play: The operation, which included state police, targeted Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang, an FBI press release said.
- In other high-profile raids that officials said targeted Tren de Aragua, arrests have not often resulted in charges or prosecutions. But they have resulted in deportations, per news reports.
Catch up quick: Around 2am on Sunday, multiple agencies conducted "court-authorized activity" near Basse Road and San Pedro Avenue on the North Side, at what appears to be a food truck park, per KSAT. Neighbors reported seeing helicopters.
- One woman who works at a food truck told News 4 that "a couple with a baby in their arms" was taken.
The latest: Unauthorized immigrants from Venezuela, Honduras, Mexico and other South American countries were taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI's San Antonio office said.
- The Texas Department of Public Safety worked on a case that led to a search warrant executed during the operation, per the press release.
Zoom in: The new regional Homeland Security Task Force, HSTF-South Texas, will focus on targeting "sophisticated cartels, foreign terrorist organizations, and transnational gangs," the FBI said. It announced the task force Monday and said it had been in place since at least late October.
- The task force includes dozens of federal agencies and state and local partners across the country.
Between the lines: A spokesperson for Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones referred questions to the San Antonio Police Department, which referred all questions — including whether its officers were involved in the operation — to the local FBI office.
What they're saying: "We are dedicated to dismantling the cartels and criminal networks responsible for violent crime, human trafficking, and drug smuggling with the ultimate goal of preserving the safety and security of the communities we serve," FBI San Antonio acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran said in a statement.
Context: In a high-profile overnight immigration raid at a Chicago apartment complex in late September, also targeting Tren de Aragua, federal agents arrested 37 people.
- Immigration officials later said just two were members of Tren de Aragua, per ProPublica, but they did not provide evidence of gang membership. Federal prosecutors did not file criminal charges against anyone who was arrested, the news outlet reported this month.
A similar scene played out closer to home in Hays County. A raid in April resulted in the arrest of more than 40 people, per the Texas Tribune. Officials said it was a gathering of Tren de Aragua members and offered no evidence.
- None of the arrests resulted in prosecutions, and many people were deported, per the Texas Observer.
What we're watching: What operations the new task force will conduct in San Antonio next.
- "More of this to come," Gov. Greg Abbott posted on X on Monday.
This story has been updated with new information.