Texas law enforcement is making good on its vow to crack down on the transnational gang ‘Tren de Aragua,’ which has been wreaking havoc across multiple states following the Biden-Harris border crisis.
In a major operation, four suspected members of the violent Venezuelan gang were arrested after a dramatic 8-hour standoff with police in Dallas. The suspects are linked to a brutal $75,000 jewelry heist.
According to the New York Post, the gang targeted a woman on September 21, following her into her garage, pistol-whipping her, and forcing her into her home on Elsby Avenue, where they stole valuable items from her Gucci bag.
Three of the suspects—Yean Brayhan Torralba (20), Alberto Martinez Silva (34), and Manuel Hernandez-Hernandez (28)—were apprehended quickly. However, the gang leader, Wilmer Colmenares Gonzalez, barricaded himself inside a home for eight hours before surrendering to police, with SWAT teams from Dallas and Irving assisting in the operation.
Texas authorities were able to track down the gang members using surveillance footage and fingerprints from the crime scene. The assailants reportedly tied up the victim and threatened to cut off her fingers if she didn’t lead them to her jewelry.
Hernandez-Hernandez, the first suspect arrested, admitted to his role in the robbery and provided police with the nicknames of his co-conspirators. He claimed he was paid $150 for his involvement, believing the group was collecting money owed by a prostitute to the gang.
‘Tren de Aragua,’ a gang with roots in Venezuela, has been spreading across the U.S., crossing the southern border amidst the influx of illegal migrants. The gang is notorious for luring women into the country, forcing them into sex work to pay off exorbitant smuggling fees.
While Dallas PD has remained tight-lipped about the investigation, it’s unclear why the female victim was specifically targeted. Reports suggest that the suspects communicated with the victim using Google Translate during the robbery.
Hernandez-Hernandez told authorities that he was recruited via a Facebook message and believed the group was going after money owed by a sex worker, hinting at the gang’s broader involvement in human trafficking.
