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FACT BRIEF

Did the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang take over an El Paso hotel?

By Brandy Ruiz
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NO

El Paso County Attorney Christina Sanchez stated Sept. 10, 2024, that her lawsuit seeking an injunction against the Gateway Hotel in Downtown El Paso, Texas, did not allege that it had been "taken over by any gang or group of individuals.”

The lawsuit was filed in August 2024 for lacking a valid certificate of occupancy, failing safety inspections and allowing criminal activity.

The El Paso Police Department reported three encounters at the hotel with suspected Tren de Aragua members based on tattoos associated with the Venezuelan gang between June and August 2024, court filings show.

El Paso District Attorney Bill Hicks confirmed Sept. 18, 2024, that the lawsuit was “not based on gang activity” and that the crimes at the hotel were independent.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Sept. 16 that there had been 20 arrests and many suspected TSA members “at or around” the Gateway Hotel in recent months.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
DocumentCloud State of Texas v. Gateway Hotel
DocumentCloud El Paso County Attorney Statement
Otter Recording El Paso District Attorney Press Conference (01:55-03:25)
Facebook Gov. Abbott Border Security Announcement, Press Conference (07:58-08:26)
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El Paso Matters
El Paso Matters is a member-supported nonpartisan media organization that uses journalism to expand civic capacity in our region. We inform and engage with people in El Paso, Ciudad Juárez and neighboring communities to create solutions-driven conversations about complex issues shaping our region.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.