Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday said the state is launching a crackdown on Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that has drawn national attention and that the Texas Republican likened to “MS-13 on steroids.” Abbott declared the gang a foreign terrorist organization and directed the state’s Department of Public Safety to ramp up efforts to halt its operations in Texas.

Gov. Greg Abbott proclaimed Tren de Aragua as a “Tier 1″ threat, calling it among the most dangerous and organized gangs operating in Texas.

At a press conference in Houston, Abbott signed a proclamation designating the group as a “foreign terrorist organization.” He pointed to recent arrests at a hotel in El Paso, where the county attorney said no specific gang had taken over.