U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, along with the FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety, arrested Jesus Alberto Escalona-Mujicas, a Venezuelan national and member of the Tren de Aragua gang, in Bryan, Texas. The operation occurred on April 9, 2025, as part of ongoing enforcement activities targeting illegal residency and criminal activity.
Escalona-Mujicas, 47, was located and apprehended during scheduled multi-agency law enforcement efforts aiming to uphold U.S. immigration laws and enhance public safety. Following his arrest, he was taken to the Montgomery Processing Center in Conroe, Texas, where he now awaits deportation proceedings.
This arrest is part of a broader effort to address members of transnational gangs residing illegally in the U.S. "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," stated Bret Bradford, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office Director. He further emphasized the importance of removing dangerous individuals such as Tren de Aragua gang members to prevent violent crime.
Escalona-Mujicas entered the United States illegally at an undetermined time and location. After initial custody by the U.S. Border Patrol near Brownsville, Texas, on April 10, 2023, he was placed into immigration proceedings. An immigration court ordered his removal on March 6, 2024, but he managed to evade authorities until his recent apprehension.
"Every transnational gang member or dangerous criminal alien that we remove from the community is another life saved, and another violent crime prevented," Bradford added, highlighting the enduring commitment by ICE officers to mitigate gang violence across Texas.
Updates and information related to ICE's immigration enforcement in Texas can be followed on X at @EROHouston.
