in Media, Politics, Trump

Homan Explains How Officials Identified TDA Gang Members Who Got Deported

Tom Homan
(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

In the wake of mass deportations of alleged Tren de Aragua (TDA) gang members, Tom Homan, President Trump’s Border Czar, is shedding light on the sophisticated tactics used by U.S. officials to identify members of the Venezuelan criminal cartel, even when they lacked formal criminal records.

Speaking amid criticism from the left and legal challenges from activist groups, Homan made clear:
“Just because someone doesn’t have a rap sheet doesn’t mean they’re not a threat. We used the full power of federal intelligence and investigative tools to track them.”

How the Gang Members Were Identified

Many of those deported were not carrying convictions in the United States, prompting questions about how the government was able to verify gang affiliation. Homan laid out a multi-pronged approach that included:

  • Social Media Intelligence: Investigators tracked online behavior, identifying individuals who posted TDA-affiliated content, tattoos, or hand signs.

  • Witness Testimony: Former gang members and witnesses in federal custody provided sworn statements linking individuals to cartel operations.

  • Title III Wiretaps: Officials secured court-approved wiretaps, intercepting communications that tied individuals to human trafficking, drug smuggling, and extortion schemes.

  • Surveillance and Undercover Ops: DHS coordinated with local law enforcement and ICE to monitor suspects and gather physical evidence of their criminal activity and associations.

Homan emphasized that every case was backed by intelligence and internal vetting before deportation orders were issued.

“We didn’t just round people up. These were known affiliates of a transnational terrorist organization,” Homan said. “We used the same investigative standards we’d apply to gangs like MS-13.”

Legal Pushback—and the Administration’s Response

The deportations were carried out under President Trump’s invocation of the Alien Enemies Act, an 18th-century law allowing for the removal of foreign nationals deemed threats to national security. That decision drew criticism from legal activists and Biden-era holdovers who claimed the move violated due process.

But Homan dismissed the outrage as political theater:
“These aren’t asylum seekers. These are cartel operatives. The left is more worried about protecting criminals than protecting American citizens.”

The Trump administration deported over 240 confirmed or suspected TDA members, many of whom were flown to El Salvador’s high-security Terrorism Confinement Center, where they’ll face local justice.

Messaging Through Action

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made clear the administration has no intention of backing down.
“We will double down on these deportations,” she said. “President Trump will use every legal tool available to remove violent foreign operatives from our communities.”

The administration has also begun publicizing enforcement actions to send a clear message to other criminal networks: the U.S. is no longer a sanctuary under Trump’s leadership.

The Bottom Line

With no apologies, no hesitation, and no patience for bureaucratic excuses, President Trump’s immigration team is once again doing what it does best—protecting the American people and putting criminals on notice.

Tom Homan summed it up best:
“We know who they are. We know where they are. And now, they’re gone.”