US sanctions Venezuela gang for spreading criminal activity across LatAm.

The Biden administration has sanctioned the Venezuelan gang, “Tren de Aragua,” which is allegedly responsible for kidnappings, extortion, and other violent crimes associated with migrants in Latin America and the United States. The U.S. has also put up a $12 million reward for the arrest of three of the gang’s leaders. “Tren de Aragua” is now classified as a transnational criminal organization, joining the ranks of MS-13 and the Italian Camorra. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, this gang often targets vulnerable groups, such as migrant women and girls, for sex trafficking, and kills those who try to escape, using their deaths as threats to others. Originating over a decade ago from a notorious prison in Venezuela’s Aragua state, “Tren de Aragua” has expanded as millions fled the country due to President Nicolás Maduro’s rule. Countries with significant Venezuelan migrant populations, such as Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador, have attributed a surge in violent crime to the gang. Initially focused on exploiting Venezuelan migrants through loan sharking, human trafficking, and smuggling, the gang has now aligned and sometimes clashed with local crime syndicates involved in drug trafficking, extortion, and contract killings. Among the groups “Tren de Aragua” has been associated with is the Brazilian organized crime group, “Primeiro Comando da Capital”. Earlier this year, Chilean prosecutors accused the gang of murdering a Venezuelan army official who had sought refuge in Chile. InSight Crime’s Jeremy McDermott describes “Tren de Aragua” as a loose federation of gangs rather than a centralized structure, now operating under a franchise model. Hector Guerrero, the gang leader known as “El Nino,” has escaped prison multiple times, with his current whereabouts unknown, though it’s believed he might be in Colombia. Original Text By Associated Press, published by -> VOA

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