Abbott’s announcement comes as Donald Trump has campaigned against “migrant crime” and pushed exaggerated claims that the gang took over a town in Colorado.

Appearing at the same news conference as Banks, Gov. Greg Abbott formally declared Tren de Aragua a “foreign terrorist organization.” That allows the authorities to go after the gang under a beefed up anti-terrorism law and also allows for the creation of a task force assigned specifically to fight the group.

Gov. Greg Abbott proclaimed Tren de Aragua as a “Tier 1″ threat, calling it among the most dangerous and organized gangs operating in Texas.

Officials in Texas on Monday designated a Venezuelan gang called the Tren de Aragua as a “foreign terrorist group” and endorsed former President Donald Trump’s claim that many migrants crossing into the United States were released from prisons in Latin America.

Gov. Greg Abbott has declared the Venezuelan gang a foreign terrorist organization and asked the Department of Public Safety to create a strike team targeting them.

They have a target on their back, and we are going after them. Texas is the wrong state for them to try to do business in,’ Governor Abbott says.