Jesus Alberto Escalona-Mujicas, a 47-year-old Venezuelan national and alleged member of the Tren de Aragua gang, was arrested in Bryan, Texas, on April 9, authorities announced.
The arrest was the result of a targeted multi-agency operation involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the FBI, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
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The operation is part of ongoing efforts to enforce U.S. immigration laws and address public safety, national security, and border security concerns. Escalona-Mujicas, who is in the country illegally, was taken into ICE custody and transported to the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas, where he will remain pending deportation.
According to officials, Escalona-Mujicas illegally entered the United States on an unknown date and at an unknown location. He was initially encountered by U.S. Border Patrol near Brownsville, Texas, on April 10, 2023, and was subsequently placed into immigration proceedings.
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An immigration judge with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review ordered his removal on March 6, 2024. However, Escalona-Mujicas absconded before the order could be carried out.
“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,” stated Bret Bradford, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office Director. “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.”
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