A slew of illegal immigrants belonging to a bloodthirsty Venezuelan street gang were caught at the southern border this week, according to the top Border Patrol official -- just as lawmakers sound the alarm about the gang.
Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens announced that 10 migrants affiliated with Tren de Aragua were arrested across Texas.
"Keep your eye on this gang," the chief warned. "Their criminal activities represent a serious threat to our communities!"
BORDER STATE LAWMAKER SOUNDS ALARM ON BLOODTHIRSTY VENEZUELAN GANG ENTERING US: ‘THEY HAVE NO RULES’
He attached pictures that showed tattoos from gang members, including one which said "Salute me or shoot me."
Customs and Border Protections (CBP) has previously distributed intelligence bulletins to agents revealing the tattoos and identifiers for the gang.
TdA is said to specialize in extortion, kidnapping, murder and sex trafficking. Federal authorities have been warning that the gang is trying to establish itself in the U.S., where police are already linking it to organized crime. The FBI has also warned that the gang could team up with the bloodthirsty MS-13.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS
The gang, known as TdA, hit the headlines earlier this year when it emerged that the brother of the suspect in the killing of Georgia student Laken Riley had affiliations with the gang.
Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital on Thursday that the gang "has unleashed violence across Central and South America."
"Now, we’re seeing more people coming across the border illegally with ties to Tren de Aragua. Until we get the border crisis under control, more and more bad actors will take advantage of the loopholes in our immigration system," he said. "Our Border Patrol Agents are in overdrive working to protect our borders and keep criminals out, but the only way forward to truly solve this crisis is to crack down on the root cause of the issue – illegal immigration."
He previously told Fox in an interview that the gang is going to be the "dominant transnational criminal organization throughout the United States. There's no doubt in my mind."
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Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., meanwhile, has called for the designation of TdA as a transnational criminal organization in order to allow sanctions on gang members and assets to be frozen.
"Absent action, there is a very real chance that our cities will begin to resemble the Latin American communities in which Tren de Aragua rose to power: places where people do not go out at night, extortion is a part of everyday life, and fear of brutality, rather than respect for law and order, rules the streets," he warned.
