Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday said the state is launching a crackdown on Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that has drawn national attention and that the Texas Republican likened to “MS-13 on steroids.” Abbott declared the gang a foreign terrorist organization and directed the state’s Department of Public Safety to ramp up efforts to halt its operations in Texas.

El Paso was thrown into the spotlight by state leaders claiming the city is "ground zero" of criminal activity by the Tren de Aragua gang.

At a press conference in Houston, Abbott signed a proclamation designating the group as a “foreign terrorist organization.” He pointed to recent arrests at a hotel in El Paso, where the county attorney said no specific gang had taken over.