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Members of the notorious Tren de Aragua gang, armed with knives, are attempting to storm border crossings in El Paso, Texas, with threats of violence against border guards who attempt to stop them, according to confidential Texas law enforcement documentation obtained by The Post.
A group of 20 Venezuelan gang members, equipped with makeshift weapons including blades, tire irons, and broken glass bottles, recently attempted to breach a border gate. The intelligence report from the Texas Department of Public Safety indicates another attempted breach is anticipated on New Year’s Day.
🚨 JUST IN: Violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua is now staging a last-minute ARMED INVASION of our border before Trump takes office
Illegals are attacking Border Patrol with knives and tire irons
SEND IN THE MILITARY NOW! pic.twitter.com/gUFZbA7SGa
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) December 31, 2024
According to Victor Avila, who previously served as a Homeland Security Investigations agent, the prison gang is rushing to establish a stronger presence in the United States before President-elect Donald Trump assumes office.
“You’re seeing that violence at the border because they know that it’s going to change in 27 days. It’s going to change. It’s going to be different, and they’re going to be sought after,” he told The Post.
An anonymous source informed Texas officials about the gang’s planned nightly incursions, typically occurring around 3 a.m. The informant revealed the gang’s intention to harm Texas National Guard soldiers, particularly when they are isolated without backup support.
A law enforcement insider confirmed to The Post that gunfire has intensified near the El Paso border recently, with authorities increasingly relying on pepperball deployment against attempted border breaches.
The current violence occurs near the location of a March 21 border riot witnessed by The Post, where over 200 unauthorized migrants broke through protective barriers. During that incident, some individuals physically attacked Texas National Guard soldiers, with one migrant observed deliberately targeting a service member’s knee.
El Paso serves as a primary hub for Tren de Aragua operations, with members using the border city as a gateway to other U.S. destinations, including New York City and Aurora, Colorado. Avila noted the gang’s successful collaboration with Mexican cartels for smuggling operations.
Avila compared the gang’s increasing violence to terrorist organizations, suggesting their actions stem from anti-American sentiments. “I think that TdA is coming in with an instruction from their home country. And I think that their ideology is more of a terrorist ideology of destruction,” said Avila.
OPEN BORDER: The Venezuela paramilitary gang Tren de Aragua is planning a major offensive to get as many members across the border before Trump. Sources claim the gang is planning to target any border guards (and their families) who attempt to stop them. Much of the gang's… pic.twitter.com/LPoUGuAxDp
— @amuse (@amuse) December 31, 2024
“They hate the United States just like terrorists do and they will kill, destroy, take over businesses, take over stores and take over apartment complexes, do whatever they have to do to destroy our way of life in the US,” he added.
In September, Texas Governor Greg Abbott officially designated TdA as a foreign terrorist organization, revealing that over 100 participants in the March riot were suspected gang members. The state has strengthened law enforcement resources and implemented mandatory minimum sentences for gang-related smuggling activities.
“Texas is aggressively going after these foreign terrorist organizations of TdA,” the governor declared at the time.
“Our goal among law enforcement in the state of Texas is to defend our state from the growing threat of TdA. We are not going to allow them to use Texas as a base of operations to terrorize our citizens,” he fumed.
