Attorney General Alan Wilson defends President Trump's removal of Tren De Aragua gang members

(COLUMBIA, S.C.) –Attorney General Alan Wilson is leading a 24-state friend-of-the-court brief supporting President Trump’s authority under the Alien Enemies Act to take action against Tren de Aragua, a foreign gang within the United States. The brief argues that a declaration of the Alien Enemies Act rests with the President’s exclusive national security responsibilities.

“A few days ago, President Trump took decisive action in removing a narcotrafficking communist leader in Venezuela,” Attorney General Wilson said. “Nicolas Maduro worked hand in hand with criminal networks to poison our communities. The President has the authority to act in the best interest of our national security.”

“The violence that gangs like Tren De Aragua have unleashed on our communities has to be stopped,” Attorney General Wilson stated. “Every state bears the consequences of years of inaction. I am grateful to President Trump for working daily to protect American citizens.”

Earlier this year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested “high-level cartel members” with ties to both Tren De Aragua and Los Zetas in a South Carolina nightclub that was a hub for weapons, narcotics, and human trafficking. And in February, ICE officials arrested multiple TdA members during a routine operation in Charleston, South Carolina.

“Our state’s law enforcement officers are on the frontline daily to protect South Carolinians,” Wilson continued. “But we need to ensure that the President and federal authorities can step in and provide vital assistance to protect us from transnational terrorist organizations.”

Attorney General Wilson previously supported the protection of the President’s constitutional authority by co-leading a coalition of 27 attorneys general. You can read more about that here.

Joining Attorney General Wilson in this brief were the states of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Wyoming.

You can read the brief here.