Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers nabbed 54 members and associates of the Trinitarios Dominican gang who were operating across New York, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced during a press conference Thursday.

“During our investigation, we learned that these scumbags were affiliated with the transnational criminal organization, the notorious Trinitarios gang in New York. We began to target every single last person that is affiliated with them and recognized that they needed to be brought to justice,” Noem said.

“These arrests and these removals represent a significant blow to the criminal network that has been terrorizing communities right here in New York City and throughout the United States,” she added.

Among the gangbangers were individuals accused of weapons trafficking, human smuggling, narcotics distribution, and armed robberies, Noem said.

More than 60% of them have already been deported.

Authorities discovered that the illegal migrant men responsible for shooting an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer in New York City in July were part of a notorious criminal gang, and immediately took to the streets to disrupt the criminal organization’s activities in what’s been dubbed “Operation Salvo.”

The two gang members allegedly responsible for shooting the CBP officer were released into the United States by the Biden administration before going on to commit multiple crimes, Noem said. Despite being shot in the wrist and the face while enjoying a quiet evening with a friend, the officer, who wishes to remain anonymous, fired back at the alleged assailants and miraculously survived.

The alleged shooter, Dominican Republic national Miguel Francisco Mora Nunez, 21, was arrested several times in New York City and in other parts of the country before the attack, according to the New York Post.

In August 2024, he was arrested twice for allegedly assaulting a pregnant woman and threatening to kill another migrant with a machete, according to the outlet. He was also wanted for kidnapping and weapons charges stemming from a pawn shop robbery in Massachusetts.

Meanwhile, Christhian Aybar-Berroa, 22, who was the shooter’s alleged accomplice, was arrested eight times by the NYPD and released each time after he had already received a deportation order.

Authorities said he was also a suspect in four more cases, the Post reported.

During Thursday’s presser, New York Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Ken Genalo blamed New York’s bail and sanctuary laws for the shooting.

“They provide safe haven for criminal illegal aliens,” Genalo said. “The lack of cooperation is unprecedented across the law enforcement spectrum, and rather than the city’s stated purpose to protect the immigrants of New York and the citizens of New York City, these misguided policies allow criminals to roam freely in our city, in our country, subjecting New Yorkers and all Americans to unnecessary harm.”

Noem also spoke to that issue.

“Those individuals would have never been in this country if they hadn’t been allowed in by the Biden administration when they ignored their federal laws and allowed them to come in illegally,” she said.

Noem said the operation is “just the beginning.”

“We are on offense, the Trump administration is using every single tool that we have to protect the American people,” she said.

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), who once served as House Majority Leader, House Minority Whip, and Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, will be retiring from Congress at the end of his current term. He has been in Congress longer than any other Democrat.

“I have decided not seek to another term in the people’s House,” he said on Thursday on the House floor. “I make this decision with sadness, for I love this House, an institution the framers designed to reflect the will of the American people and to serve as the guardian of their liberty and their democracy.”

Hoyer is 86 years old, and he took office in 1981. He’s been a statewide figure in Maryland politics since 1967, when he first joined the Maryland Senate.

There was an outpouring of messages from some of the biggest voices in Washington following his announcement.

“Steny Hoyer is a model public servant, always keeping the American people front and center,” House Minority Whip Katherine Clark posted amid the news. “[House Democrats] are so grateful for his leadership and wish him and Elaine all the best in their next chapter.”

“Steny Hoyer’s departure is truly the end of an era in House Democratic politics. Steny always chose the more civil path, which is why he earned the mutual respect of his colleagues on both sides of the aisle—as a fair dealer, a respected leader, and an institution within the institution he most loved,” former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy posted.

Hoyer joins Rep. Nancy Pelosi in not seeking re-election. The two worked together for many years when Pelosi was House Speaker.

“Steny has been a steady presence for our Caucus in Democratic Leadership and a valued colleague. His deep knowledge of the institution, respect for its traditions and commitment to public service have earned him the admiration of colleagues on both sides of the aisle,” Pelosi wrote on X. “Personally, Steny has been not only a trusted partner in leadership, but a dear friend. As he concludes his extraordinary service in Congress, we celebrate Steny’s legacy of decency and devotion to country. Our gratitude to him and his family is boundless, and we wish them every happiness in the years ahead.”

Pelosi is 85 years old, and both of their departures will likely create highly competitive Democratic primaries in their deep blue districts. Age is becoming a major factor in the Democratic Party’s discussions on how to move forward in the Trump era, especially after former President Joe Biden decided to exit the 2024 election last summer.

However, some Republicans said his departure is another indicator of the Democratic Party shifting further to the Left, especially in the wake of Democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s election in New York City.

“Democrat Dinosaur Steny Hoyer is the latest domino to fall in the radical socialist takeover of the Democrat Party, just months after he drew a primary challenger from the left,” the National Republican Campaign Committee posted. “The far-left is pushing out Democrat Dinosaurs to make room for Mamdani’s socialist minions!”

Hoyer is one of 45 representatives who will be leaving the chamber in 2026, according to Ballotpedia.