U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) this week arrested three Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang members in two states as the new administration begins its mass deportation push, a senior Trump administration official told Fox News.
Nestor Jose Mendoza-Garcia was nabbed Thursday in San Antonio, Texas, and Elmer Aparicio-Castillo and an unidentified 36-year-old man were arrested the same day in Nashville, all after allegedly entering the country illegally last year when they were processed and arrested by the Biden administration.
“Throughout this week, the heroes of ICE have been hunting down and arresting hundreds of illegal alien criminals, and it’s immediate expulsion, including those with charges of convictions for rape, child sexual assault, terrorism and even murder,” President Donald Trump said at a rally in Las Vegas Saturday.
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“Members of the savage Venezuelan prison gang known as Tren de Aragua. You know that gang? This is not a nice group of people. They formed in prison, and then [Venezuela] dumped their prisons into our country.
“They’re as bad as the bloodthirsty MS-13 gangs.”
Nestor Jose Mendoza-Garcia, right, and Elmer Aparicio-Castillo were arrested by ICE this week. (ICE)
Mendoza-Garcia arrived in the U.S. in October and was issued a notice to appear before being released.
He was arrested by the San Antonio Police Department in November for possessing a gun linked to an unsolved murder.
On Thursday, ICE San Antonio obtained a federal indictment and arrest warrant for Mendoza-Garcia for being an alien in possession of a gun. He is an active member of the gang, the official said.
Aparicio-Castillo was issued a notice to appear after an encounter with ICE in El Paso, Texas, in September.
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He was arrested by ICE Nashville Thursday for allegedly being an alien in possession of a gun. He also allegedly has links to the gang.
President Donald Trump called the gang as “bloodthirsty as MS-13” during a rally in Las Vegas Saturday. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)
Aparicio-Castillo’s criminal history includes charges of evading arrest, promoting prostitution and marijuana possession in Nashville.
After his criminal adjudication, Aparicio-Castillo will be administratively arrested for immigration proceedings, the official said.
The 36-year-old unidentified Venezuelan entered the U.S. illegally through Eagle Pass, Texas, in December and was issued a notice to appear.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt released this image Friday, writing on X that “deportation flights have begun.” (White House)
His criminal history also includes evading arrest, promoting prostitution and marijuana possession in Nashville.
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He was administratively arrested by ICE Nashville Thursday.
Fox News’ Bill Melugin contributed to this report.