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.

District Attorney Bill Hicks addressed the growing presence of the dangerous Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, also known as TDA, during a press conference held on Thursday, Sept. 18. Hicks’ statement follows Governor Greg Abbott’s declaration of the gang as a foreign terrorist organization,