El Paso County Sheriff believes new state database could help track members of Tren de Aragua
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- While most Tren de Aragua members who entered the U.S. through El Paso moved on to other areas, some remain here.
At the El Paso County Detention Facility, four inmates are suspected members of the gang. However, it can be difficult for law enforcement officers to confirm because there is no record of their affiliation.
In a press conference on Monday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the Texas Department of Public Safety is "working to create a database from scratch."
"They are doing that by watching for suspected (Tren de Aragua) activity that matches the known methods of operation of confirmed (the gang's) activity in other countries," Abbott said.
El Paso County Sheriff Richard Wiles believes this database could be an important step in stopping the gang's expansion.
"The El Paso County Sheriff's Office does not engage in immigration enforcement," Wiles said. "But if we make a lawful stop of an individual in our jurisdiction, trying to identify them and determine if they're a member of a gang, such as that particular one, is almost impossible."
