Latin American gangs target Catalonia for expansion into Spain

Spanish internal security forces are facing a growing challenge from transnational Latin American criminal organizations. Groups such as Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua, El Salvador’s Mara Salvatrucha MS13, and Brazil’s Primeiro Comando da Capital are implementing expansion strategies into Europe, using Spain as a primary entry point.

These organizations operate as autonomous criminal franchises with the intent to infiltrate political, economic, and social structures. Beyond simple enrichment, their objectives include corruption and extortion of institutions to create zones of impunity.

Catalonia has been identified as a critical focus for these groups due to its high concentration of the Latin American population, which provides camouflage for gang members. Authorities note that these cells use urban centers like Barcelona to hide among the population, while also seeking to exploit victims through human trafficking and sexual exploitation, and recruiting younger members.