Jesus Alberto Escalona-Mujicas/Venezuela/Tren de Aragua

A joint operation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI, and the Texas Department of Public Safety arrested Jesus Alberto Escalona-Mujicas, a 47-year-old illegal alien from Venezuela and documented Tren de Aragua gang member, April 9, in Bryan, Texas.

Escalona-Mujicas was arrested and taken into ICE custody and transported to the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas, where his deportation procedure is in motion.

Escalona-Mujicas illegally entered the U.S. on an unknown date and at an unknown location. He was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol April 10, 2023, near Brownsville, Texas, and was taken into custody and placed into immigration proceedings. Escalona-Mujicas was ordered to be deported March 6, 2024, but he absconded from authorities before his removal 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,” ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford said in a statement.

“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.”