The terrifying “railway” that the “Aragua train” runs through left Venezuela, leaving episodes full of bullets, kidnappings, trafficking, robberies, extortion, micro-trafficking and deaths in at least five countries.

The “Aragua Train” is considered a transnational criminal mega-gang. By mid-2022, members were estimated at thousands.

Those who left Aragua, a central Venezuelan state, just over a decade ago arrived with their criminal pasts to continue their misdeeds.

The organization, reported El Nacional, grew up in Aragua, Venezuela, where it began participating in drug and arms trafficking and car theft.

Its origin is related to the Tocorón prison. To reach other countries, they estimate they have expanded “by following migrant smuggling routes”.

Countries where the presence of the Aragua train is reported

Colombia

From Bogotá, the city of Kennedy “reported their threats to poison the water and blow up cars in several groups.” Also the extortion of merchants, Infobae discussed two months ago.

With information from the prosecution, they added that in addition to Kennedy, these nationals are also active in Bosa, Ciudad Bolívar, Rafael Uribe Uribe, Usme and Santa Fe.

Before last Christmas, the police reported the rescue of 4 people believed to have been kidnapped by that gang.

“The four detainees, including a minor under 17 years of age, entered with force and under threat into a warehouse disguised as a travel agency,” the Cúcuta police said in a statement.

Last year, Bogotá Mayor Claudia López asked Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva to ask Venezuela to strengthen measures against the leaders of the “Tren de Aragua”, imprisoned in Tocorón.

Peru

Since 2018, there have been reports of the terrifying band’s presence on Peruvian soil. They were linked to bank robberies.

The following year, it was reported that those who attempted to rob a bank in Lima’s Plaza Norte mall were sentenced in 2018 to six to 12 years.

Five years later, the organization is frequently involved in human trafficking (sexual exploitation), extortion and contract killers, among other things.

In the arrest announced on Tuesday, April 18, it was stated that “the criminal group would be dedicated to collecting quotas from women who are sexually exploited in various parts of East Lima and extorting loans known as “drop by drop”.

Last March, it was already alarmed that “Los Tiguerones” had arrived in Peru and were fighting with the “Tren de Aragua”.

Chili

At the beginning of February 2023, in a report by Bíobío, they indicated: “The border between Bolivia and Chile has been the way to exploit the “Tren de Aragua” because, by controlling the border crossings, they manage people and drug trafficking,” they said . the prosecutor of Tarapacá, Raúl Arancibia.

The night of April 18 was long in Calama. There, a confrontation ensued between Carabineros and criminals who attacked a police station. After the fact, “they are investigating whether the ‘Aragua train’ was behind these shootings.”

Hours later, the gunmen shot dead some Venezuelans at the bus station in the Grenadiers sector. There was a death there.

“Carabineros started a chase that ended with a shootout in the Inés de Suárez sector, in the Los Transportistas villa. One of the criminals collided with a patrol car and died after being shot several times,” explains Bíobío.

Ecuador

On January 25, 2023, the Ecuadorian police in Tulcán detained 9 alleged members of the criminal network and the crimes attributed to them were robbery, extortion, murder, micro-trafficking and migrant smuggling.

Ricardo Andramunio, police spokesman on the occasion, said the subjects “work with ties in Ipiales, where they have their ties and transport foreigners, especially Haitians and Hindus, to Colombia.”

Six months ago, the Ecuadorian authorities spoke of 27 detainees. They were charged with extortion calls from a Venezuelan prison. Research showed that “they pushed up to a million dollars they raised each month for vaccines, El Universo reported.

Bolivian

In that country, he reviewed El Deber in 2022: “This gang is committed to trafficking women for sexual exploitation in Chile. They get their victims from Venezuela and Colombia. The new route includes Bolivia, from Tacna the ‘trocheros’ take them to Desaguadero and from there to Pisiga”.

The “railway line” seems long. Brazil cannot escape the situation, there are also events related to the powerful organization.