Over 20 suspected Tren De Aragua gang members were arrested in Gateway Hotel
by Erika Esquivel
Thu, September 26th 2024 at 4:59 PM
Updated Thu, September 26th 2024 at 5:04 PM
Gateway Hotel in downtown El Paso. (credit: KFOX14/CBS4)
EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Officials with the Texas Department of Public Safety gave more data on the number of arrests they have made of Tren de Aragua gang members.
DPS officials said they have made one confirmed Tren De Aragua gang member arrest for human smuggling.
Officials said they arrested more than 20 suspected Tren De Aragua gang members from the Gateway Hotel in downtown El Paso earlier this month for charges including human smuggling, prostitution, possession of illegal drugs, and other crimes.
Earlier this year, more than 100 suspected Tren de Aragua members were arrested on riot charges in connection with the March 21, 2024, incident near Gate 36 in El Paso, DPS officials said.
DPS has made arrests in other parts of the state such as Houston, Dallas and San Antonio.
RELATED:Gateway Hotel faces legal action over alleged ‘Tren De Aragua’ gang activity, violations
he document stated that Gateway has operated as a hotel for the past six years, it has done so without a valid certificate of occupancy and is in violation of city requirements. The building also failed at least three inspections by the El Paso Fire Department since July.
For the last two years, there have been 693 calls made for police to investigate the hotel.
The document stated that police reports showed that Gateway has habitual criminal activity.
The document stated the establishment was in a deplorable state of the inside.
A video showed dozens of people “partying” on the 3rd floor of the hotel, drinking, smoking and dancing provocatively while children are present, the document states.
The video also shows at least one gun being shot, another used to threaten, men holding knives and another man with a hatchet assaulting people and causing damage to the hotel in front of a security guard.
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