AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A Venezuelan father detained alongside his wife and two young children during a March immigration raid in Hays County maintains the family has no connection with the violent gang authorities claim they were targeting.

The operation, which took place in the early morning hours of April 1, resulted in the apprehension of 47 people, including nine minors. Federal and state authorities alleged the gathering involved members and associates of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that originated in prisons before expanding across Latin America.

According to Texas Tribune reporter Alejandro Serrano, who interviewed the Venezuelan father, the family was celebrating birthdays at a rented house when law enforcement arrived with flashbang grenades around 5 a.m.

“He said they weren't

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