A suspected member of the notorious Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang was among five people arrested during a human smuggling bust in Texas, authorities said Wednesday.
The three suspects accused of human smuggling have been “circumventing Border Patrol checkpoints” and using known human smuggling routes to bring up to 15 people per week into the U.S., Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar told reporters. He said two other individuals present during their arrests were accused of drug possession.
The three suspects charged with human smuggling were identified as 24-year-old Jose Francisco Barriento Vega of Mexico, 49-year-old Mary Lou Tula, and 44-year-old Alexis Segundo Olivo Fernandez of Venezuela.
Vega is in the U.S. without documentation, Salazar said, while Tula is believed to be a U.S. citizen.
Salazar said the sheriff’s Human Exploitation Unit has worked with Laredo Sector Border Patrol to investigate the human smuggling group since launching operations in April. The sheriff noted the group has associations with criminal organizations responsible for upwards of $1 million of seized cash.
Bryan Suarez, 19, was arrested during the bust for drug possession, the sheriff’s office said. (Bexar County Sheriff’s Office)
Those arrested were booked into Bexar County Jail.
Salazar said more arrests are possible as the investigation remains ongoing.
