Aragua train, is the name of a Venezuelan mega band that whips all South America; with human trafficking to chili, with presence and alliances in the prisons of Brazil, and have begun to expand by Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru.
According to investigations, the Aragua Train has an alliance with the Brazilian criminal group Primer Comando de la Capital (PCC), which is in charge of converting money into dollars in Paraguay, Panama, Mexico and Spain.
The leader of this criminal group is Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias Niño Guerrero, the main prison chief in Venezuela and, from prison, leads Tren de Aragua and the Somos El Barrio JK foundation, an institution that registered the criminal organization to receive resources and state support.
They are highly dangerous, they show their warlike power on social networks and their objective is to multiply their crimes throughout South America.
According to international agencies, about three thousand members are part of the group.
Chilean authorities are on high alert, due to reports that this gang is involved in the smuggling of migrants to that country, which shows what is expanding in the region, according to InSight Crime.
Chilean prosecutors have opened at least four investigations based on local media reports, which indicate that members of the Aragua Train are involved in the illegal transport of migrants from Bolivia to Santiago de Chile.
At least nine or 10 members of the gang have been detained for helping some 3,600 migrants to enter Chile. According to the prosecutor
Carolina Suazo, witnesses speak of the participation of the Aragua Train in the transfer of migrants through remote crossings at the border, under risky conditions.
This group has progressively expanded throughout South America, often following migrant smuggling routes. In 2020, InSight Crime named him the Criminal Winner of the Year, due to his expansion through Colombia, Peru, Ecuador and Brazil. And now it seems that Chile and Bolivia can also be added to this list.
In 2021, the group’s presence was confirmed in the remote trails (veredas) between Venezuela and Colombia; migrant smuggling put him in conflict with the National Liberation Army (ELN), which is perhaps the most powerful criminal actor in the region.
The Secretary of Public Security of Roraima in Brazil, Olivan Junior, warned about the presence of Venezuelan criminals.
By Israel López
PAL
