National Border Patrol Council Vice President Art Del Cueto appeared Monday on Fox Business and accused some leaders of prioritizing political agendas over the safety and well-being of American citizens.
During an appearance on “The Evening Edit,” Del Cueto said there’s deep-seated concern about the priorities of certain political figures. He also criticized political figures and the media for their alleged role in undermining efforts to combat such threats.
“You’re gonna have these individuals in the media that they want ratings, they want [to] push their agenda, and they got friends in politics that want to push their particular agenda as well, but these are bad people,” Del Cueto said when asked about members of the Tren De Aragua gang rounded up in Aurora.
Originally established in 2013 in Venezuela’s Aragua state, the Tren de Aragua gang has expanded to thousands of members across multiple countries, with confirmed activities in 15 U.S. states and potential operations in eight others, NBC News reported. Federal agents detained dozens of Tren de Aragua gang members at a makeshift nightclub in Denver, following a series of terror activities in the city and its suburb, Aurora.
The DEA interrupted an exclusive party in Adams County, just beyond Denver’s boundaries, where these gang members were congregating. Despite the gang’s notorious background, Del Cueto questioned the intention of some leaders.
“I don’t understand how you would be a leader in any country, any city, any town, any, you know, state, and you would want criminals to stay and remain in your country and state. It baffles me that these people have that type of agenda,” Del Cueto said.
Some politicians, Del Cueto said, are more driven by hatred for President Donald Trump than by a commitment to American safety.
“All I can say, and I’ve been saying it for years, their hatred towards President Trump is greater than their love for Americans. That’s the only reason they do things like this. These are very bad individuals that came into the United States,” Del Cueto said. “All they care about is to expand their criminal enterprises. That’s what they’ve been doing. You know, they’ve found the loopholes to come across, say, asylum, and then get released.”
The official then lauded Trump and border czar Tom Homan.
“People like President Trump and individuals like Tom Homan and the many, many men and women out there putting their lives on the line each and every day trying to get home to their families are also out there making sure that these criminals are detained,” Del Cueto said.
Trump signed an executive order on Jan. 20 declaring a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border, abolishing birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants, and reinstating the Remain in Mexico policy. This declaration enables the use of additional resources to manage the ongoing migrant crisis, a situation that escalated during the Biden administration.
Following the executive order, the Department of Defense dispatched 1,500 active-duty troops to the border and employed military aircraft for deportation efforts. Additionally, the administration has repealed a Biden-era directive that restricted ICE from conducting arrests at “sensitive locations” such as churches, schools, and hospitals. Then acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman said on Jan. 21 that this measure is intended to prevent criminals from exploiting these venues to evade capture.
(Featured Image Media Credit: Screenshot/Fox Business)
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