Usually, Sunday night clubbing in San Antonio ends with tacos and some bad decisions. But this one ended with FBI zip ties and flash bangs. What transpired was that more than 150 people were arrested in a massive, multi-agency raid on an unauthorized nightclub near Basse Road and San Pedro Avenue. This happens to be a spot that locals say has been operating in the shadows.
That is, until the FBI, Homeland Security, and 12 other agencies decided to visit it!
Some videos captured by nearby food truck owner Genesis Valadez show agents storming the property, zip-tying and dragging some people to the ground before knocking down a surveillance camera. That made it clear that nobody was escaping unnoticed. Federal officials (including those from the FBI) say 27 of those arrested are tied to Tren de Aragua, a notorious Venezuelan gang operating across Latin America, which is now under hawk-eyed scrutiny by the US government.
Three firearms, cocaine, and around $35,000 in cash were found at the club. But the context of the FBI raid is that this was one of the first major actions under the newly formed Homeland Security Task Force–South Texas (HSTF-South Texas). This task force had been created as they wanted to target international crime operations involving smuggling, trafficking, and money laundering.
🚨BREAKING: A MASSIVE ICE RAID just hit a San Antonio club and it’s EXACTLY the kind of America First power we voted for.
Over 140 illegal aliens taken down on the spot, including Tren de Aragua gang members and criminals from all over the world hiding in plain sight.
THIS is… pic.twitter.com/ZcU3gMJUDz
— ⁿᵉʷˢ Barron Trump 🇺🇸 (@BarronTNews_) November 19, 2025
Residents of the area were jolted awake by smoke grenades, armored vehicles, sirens, and, to top that off, there were dozens of federal officers rounding up people from every corner of the property. The video of the FBI raid shows bystanders feeling confused and scared, as they may not have even known what they were walking into when they showed up for a drink at this San Antonio club.
Meanwhile, business owners in the area, which includes Valadez, say the raid didn’t shut down the club but also shut down the general public’s trust in the whole area. Seven small businesses used to share the space: three food trucks, a car dealership, and mechanics. But now, customers are avoiding the area like it’s radioactive. Valadez said that they had to move shop to get customers.
While the FBI focused on gang ties, we need to be mindful that many of those detained in this raid were migrants from Venezuela, Mexico, Honduras, and other Latin American countries. So, not all have criminal records.
JUST NOW: Kash Patel had no clue about this MASSIVE scandal on his watch.
FBI agents were laser focused on bringing violent 764 gang members in Baltimore to justice.
There’s almost nobody left on this team. Patel pulled them away for sham immigration projects. pic.twitter.com/bkGySYQ06O
— Senate Judiciary Democrats 🇺🇸 (@JudiciaryDems) September 16, 2025
In fact, more than 70% of detainees in current ICE custody have no criminal convictions, according to data cited by TRAC. Critics argue that the line between “gang member” and “asylum seeker in the wrong place” is blurry.
Quite obviously, this raid may further complicate public perception. This FBI operation is timed with the government’s rush of deportation policies and sending troops into the Caribbean as an act of power against Tren de Aragua and other organized crime networks.
Anyway, no one is dancing at that nightclub now.
