San Antonio firefighters received a warning from their union officials to “watch your six” after increasing criminal activity by the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang on the city’s north side.
The San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association (SAPFFA) emailed its members, warning them to “keep their heads on a swivel and watch your six,” KSAT News reported. SAFFFA President Joe Jones told the local news outlet that firefighters’ and paramedics’ button-up uniforms appear similar to San Antonio police officers and he is concerned this could put his members at risk from gang violence.
“Despite the City’s claims of ‘no credible threat to public safety’ we have numerous safety concerns surrounding operations ongoing within the southern portion of 5-0 (Battalion 5),” Jones wrote in an email to his members. “We know they’re here. But this is concentrated presence. This is concentrated, increased activity,” Jones told KSAT.
The union chief expressed concern about apartments a few blocks north of the San Antonio Migrant Resource Center. His goal is effectively communicate the warning to all members of his union.
The City of San Antonio responded to a request for comment from KSAT, saying:
Suspected and known gang activity in the San Antonio area is being addressed by SAPD. Coordination with the SAFD is part of our daily operations. SAPD is and will continue to take necessary action to ensure the public’s safety as well as the safety of our first responders. We work closely with local, state, and federal agencies to identify threats and develop strategic operations which are aimed at reducing gang influence and protecting residents of our city. Public safety is our top priority.
The actions from the San Antonio firefighter union follow Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s recent designation of the Tren de Aragua gang as a foreign terrorist organization. During a recent interview with Breitbart Texas, the governor said:
If you look at the historical analysis written about them (TdA), they’re in a business operation. They’re looking to make money. And what they’re going to find is, if they’re coming in the state of Texas, they’re losing money. It’s a losing money proposition in the state of Texas, and they’re going to realize they got to take their business elsewhere.
Abbott told Breitbart that Tren de Aragua operates in El Paso, San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, and the Rio Grande Valley border region. In addition to the foreign terrorist organization designation, Abbott also offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of TdA gang members.
“Our goal is to make sure we find them, identify them, locate them, arrest them, and lock them up,” Abbott stated during the Friday interview.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He also serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.
