4 members of Tren de Aragua were arrested trying to sneak across the Texas border

Four members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) were caught trying to enter the US illegally through the southern border, announced Gov. Texas Greg Abbott.

The four TdA members were among 22 suspected illegal immigrants arrested on New Year’s Eve by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) operating in Val Verde County.

“Our top priority is the safety and security of Texans, including combating the growing threat of Tren de Aragua,” Abbott said in a statement.

Abbott, whose administration has been strengthening its hand against gangs that have been harassing communities across the country, said the 22 migrants came from Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. 11 of the 22 were arrested for crossing, and the rest were families and were turned over to the Border Patrol for processing.

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Four TdA members were among a group of nine Venezuelans who said they went to San Antonio, Irving, and Corsicana, Texas. DPS special agents were able to confirm they were gang members by using social media apps on their phones, as well as their tattoos, Abbott said.

These people were identified as Segundo Ocando-Mejia, 39; Pedro Luis Salazar-Cuervo, 27; Antonio Joe Urruttia-Rojas, 18; and Levi Jesus Urrutia-Blanco, 18.

Ocando-Mejia had tattoos on his shoulders that indicated he might have a position or leadership in the group, Abbott said.

Migrants entered through a razor wire fence in Texas in April. (David Peinado/ZUMA Press Wire)

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Abbott said he had designated the TdA as a foreign terrorist organization, and in September, he launched a global campaign to target the TdA by force to disrupt its criminal activities. He ordered the DPS to promote them to a Tier 1 gang and established the TdA Strike Team to identify and arrest members of the TdA gang.

Abbott said he will not tolerate this gang operating or having a place in Texas.

This gang is involved in all kinds of violent crime, including murder, police shootings, assaults, robberies and firearms smuggling. A Homeland Security memo cited by the New York Post in November says it applies to at least 16 states.

“Until President Trump returns to the White House to secure our border, Texas will continue to hunt down dangerous criminals like TdA and imprison them to protect Texans from this vicious group,” Abbott said.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has said he will not allow TdA to gain a foothold in Texas. (Fox News Photo/Joshua Comins)

Abbott announced that his Office of Public Safety is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of known or suspected TdA gang members who are or have been involved in criminal activity.

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The news comes days after 22 TdA gang members were arrested in two attacks in New York City.

Several were shot while hiding in a Bronx building near a daycare center, a police source told Fox News, emphasizing how the group has immersed itself in the holy city’s large population.