Federal authorities are facing mounting questions from local leaders and members of Congress surrounding the Nov. 16 operation in San Antonio, as newly released documents and statements reveal gaps between the evidence presented to obtain a state search warrant and later federal claims that the raid disrupted a major transnational gang.
The early-morning operation at 5939 San Pedro Ave., near Basse Road, targeted a mixed-use commercial property with food trucks, auto repair services and multiple metal buildings.
The raid resulted in 143 people being taken into immigration custody, according to a press release Tuesday from the newly established Homeland Security Task Force – South Texas, which is jointly led by FBI San Antonio and Homeland Security Investigations San Antonio.
The task force said the operation led to the arrest of 51 “confirmed” members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuela-origin gang. Officials report that 25 of 143 individuals had a “record of criminal history within the United States” with 12 of them having only committed misdemeanors in the past.
After the raid the Department of Justice announced two Honduran nationals had been arrested as part of the operation, Marcos Joel Contreras-Max and Edwin Javier Chinchilla-Lopez would each face charges of illegal re-entry after having been previously deported from the U.S. to Honduras. If convicted, they will face up to two years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.
The initial raid was launched under the pretense of “disrupting Tren de Aragua” operations; however, the state search-warrant affidavit that officials say “led to the search warrant executed during the operation” outlines a far narrower case built primarily on the statements of a confidential informant.
The affidavit, signed by a Texas Department of Public Safety special agent on Nov. 16, states that the informant claimed individuals at the property were associated with Tren de Aragua and involved in selling cocaine.
It describes two controlled drug purchases arranged by DPS, FBI and other officers, surveillance of foot traffic at the site, and information from the same individual about Luis Armador Castillo-Hernandez, whom the CI identified as selling narcotics and possessing firearms. The CI further alleged that “known members of TdA and associates” attended after-hours parties where Castillo-Hernandez sold cocaine.
The affidavit does not independently corroborate the gang affiliation claims beyond the CI’s statements. In its latest press release the task force did not provide names or evidence supporting the gang affiliation claims, and FBI spokesperson Carmen Portillo said the agency “is not planning to provide any additional information or interviews beyond what is contained in the attached press release.”
The lack of publicly available information has drawn sharp criticism from local leaders.
On Nov. 20, U.S. Reps. Joaquin Castro (TX-20) and Greg Casar (TX-35) sent letters to DHS, FBI, ICE and the Department of Justice demanding detailed information about the operation. They asked for the underlying evidence used to obtain the warrant, the number of people detained, their nationalities, criminal charges, detention locations, whether minors were involved, and whether any detainees had previously been granted prosecutorial discretion.
“After attempting to get pertinent information from your respective offices, we are addressing this letter to all of you pursuant to our responsibilities as congressional representatives of the area and pursuant to our duty to conduct rigorous oversight of federal and state activities. Most importantly, we write out of our obligation to ensure transparency for Texans and people across the country,” the lawmakers wrote.
The following day San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said the following in a statement and sent her own letter to the task force requesting more information.
“I want to reassure our community that we are continuing to seek answers regarding the raid conducted on Sunday, November 16th, and specifically the status of individuals detained,” She wrote. “Transparency is the foundation of a safe community, and we must ensure that everyone receives due process.”
Following the latest task force press release, Castro released a public statement escalating his concerns about the conduct and lack of transparency of the raid.
“If ICE has nothing to hide from its raid in San Antonio, why did they smash security cameras?” Castro wrote. “If authorities are so sure they arrested 51 members of Tren de Aragua, why can’t they offer proof?”
Castro also added that 92 people were detained and charged with nothing, including “two teenage boys who were grabbing something to eat.” Those claims have not been independently verified and federal agencies have yet to release the names or case records of the detainees.
Similar raids have raised questions elsewhere in Texas, in Hays County earlier this year officials cited Tren de Aragua for a raid that led to the detainment of 47 at a birthday party but months later had failed to produce evidence linking detainees to the gang.
The Nov. 25 task-force press release emphasizes that the operation was intended to address “public-safety concerns” and acknowledges assistance from DPS, the U.S. Border Patrol, ATF, DEA, the U.S. Marshals Service and other agencies. It states that all individuals taken into custody will undergo immigration proceedings “in accordance with due process of law.”
It remains unclear where those arrested are being held or whether they have been released.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.