Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua take over Texas hotel, county officials work to shut down business
A Texas hotel may be shut down after 693 police calls were made in just two years at the property for suspected illegal and gang-related activity, according to legal documents.
The Gateway Hotel has received a temporary and permanent injunction from the El Paso County Attorney's Office to cease operations after "habitual criminal activity" was discovered.
"The large volume of calls for service to a single business and State’s analysis of police reports show that the Gateway has habitual criminal activity that violates the CPRC, and additional crimes that contributes to the overall blight this business brings to downtown El Paso," reads the El Paso County Attorney's complaint.
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As recently as August 23, police documented the presence of transnational gang Tren de Aragua in the Gateway Hotel building, which the county attorney calls "most alarming."
An officer's note from the date reads, "Noticed Venezuelans walking out of a room and cooking fumes coming from the room. The fire marshals has already warned them that they were not allowed to cooking inside their room. They said they had permission. The man had a tattoo that was consistant [sic] with the Tren De Aragua Gang."
Officers also noted that the property may be a site for prostitution, consuming drugs, gang activity, and illegal dumping per the complaint.
The Gateway Hotel had been allowed only conditional use of the property through 2018, which included only the lobby and first floor. The past six years of operations have occurred without a valid certificate of occupancy and in direct violation of El Paso city requirements.
A one-star review of the Gateway Hotel posted on Yelp reads, "an incredibly filthy, drug, and bug infested, fire-trap!"
The hotel, built in 1903, has failed at least three fire inspections since July. An aggravated assault which took place at the Gateway on June 16, 2024, shows "the deplorable state of the inside of the building," according to the El Paso County Attorney's Office.
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"A video showing the deplorable state of the inside of the building and the type of activity allowed inside of the business comes from an aggravated assault case. The video shows dozens of people ‘partying’ on the 3rd floor of the hotel, drinking, smoking and dancing provocatively while children are present," reads the complaint. "The video also shows at least one gun being shot, another used to threaten, men holding knives and another man with a hatchet assaulting people and causing damage to the hotel in front of a security guard."
The Tren de Aragua criminal activity at the Gateway Hotel in El Paso follows a dangerous trend of building takeovers across Colorado.
Tren de Aragua is a transnational gang based in Venezuela with around 5,000 members. The gang has been known to engage in illegal drug dealing, sex trafficking, and carrying unauthorized firearms. Some of the gang members in the United States are illegal aliens.
"I am thankful to our law enforcement for overseeing this successful operation. Every day, Tren de Aragua gains more ground in our country, and El Paso is clearly on the market for this dangerous gang," said Congressman Tony Gonzales to Fox News Digital. "That’s why I have pushed hard to designate TDA as a transnational criminal organization and provide more tools to security agencies so they can shut down their operations. El Paso has historically been one of our nation’s safest cities and I am committed to keeping it that way."
Congressman Chip Roy also weighed in, saying to Fox News Digital that "the fact DPS & the local El Paso authorities had to shut down a hotel over Venezuelan gang activity tell you how pervasive the problem is."
"I am deeply concerned for the well-being of families, senior citizens, veterans, and children residing at the hotel who will need to evacuate by 10:00 am on Thursday, September 12, 2024," said Christina Sanchez, El Paso County Attorney in a release.
The Gateway Hotel's owner, Howard Yun, did not return Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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The Gateway Hotel refused Fox News Digital's request for comment.