Texas ICE officials arrest Tren de Aragua gang member from Venezuela

HOUSTON - A 47-year-old Venezuela native and documented Tren de Aragua gang member was arrested on Wednesday in Bryan, Texas, by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

ICE arrests Tren de Aragua gang member

ICE officials say Jesus Alberto Escalona-Mujicas was arrested during a targeted, nationwide operation to "restore integrity to U.S. immigration laws and bolster public safety, national security and border security."

Escalona-Mujicas was taken into ICE custody and taken to the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas, pending his removal from the U.S.

The backstory:

According to ICE officials, Escalona-Mujicas illegally entered the U.S. on an unknown date and at an unknown location. 

In April 2023, U.S. Border Patrol near Brownsville, TX took Escalona-Mujicas into custody. He was ordered to be removed from the United States on March 6, 2024, but he was able to hide from authorities before his removal could be carried out.

What they're saying:

"The law enforcement community in South Texas is united in our determination to restore integrity to our nation’s immigration laws and sovereignty over our southern border," said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford. "Every transnational gang member or dangerous criminal alien that we remove from the community is another life saved, and another violent crime prevented. This is especially true for Tren de Aragua gang members who are known to be among the most brutal transnational gangs with a presence in the U.S. Our immigration officers have witnessed firsthand the devastating impact that transnational gang violence can have on a community, and they are committed to work tirelessly to prevent that from taking hold in Texas."