On October 5, a major multi-agency operation took place at the Palatia Apartments in San Antonio, Texas, targeting human trafficking, narcotics violations, and threats made against apartment staff. The Texas Anti-Gang Center (TAG) led the operation, with agencies including Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), San Antonio Police Department (SAPD), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Border Patrol involved.
Undercover officers from SAPD had uncovered that members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TDA) had taken over vacant units in the apartment complex, using them as bases for illegal activities. Over 150 officers and agents participated in the raid, clearing more than 300 units. In total, 19 individuals were arrested, including 16 Venezuelan nationals and three United States citizens.
HSI identified four of the arrested Venezuelans as members of the transnational criminal organization, with one acting as a TDA "enforcer." U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) were on standby to take custody of the Venezuelan nationals after their processing at the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
This operation underscored the collaborative efforts between various law enforcement agencies to combat the presence of TDA and disrupt illicit activity in the region.
