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The Department of Homeland Security on Monday said the man they took into custody after a prolonged arrest in Elgin Saturday, where agents sprayed tear gas against protesters, was a “suspected member of Tren de Aragua,” a Venezuelan street gang.

Federal authorities identified the man as Luis Jesus Acosta Gutierrez, of Venezuela, who entered the country in April 2023 and was granted temporary protected status, DHS said.

When asked about evidence of Acosta Gutierrez’s alleged affiliation to the Tren de Aragua gang, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist group as of this year, DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said, “DHS intelligence assessments go well beyond just gang affiliate tattoos and social media

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