[REVISION HISTORY]

Tren de Aragua criminal organization activities

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2026-09-11 13:19 UTC → 2026-09-11 15:07 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Legal and law enforcement actions against the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua have intensified across multiple countries. In Chile, the first trial has commenced regarding the February 2024 kidnapping and murder of Venezuelan lieutenant Ronald Ojeda. Prosecutors are targeting Maickel David Villegas Rodríguez, a member of the organization’s ‘Los Piratas’ cell, who was extradited from Costa ~~Rica, alleging he~~ Rica. Prosecutors allege Villegas Rodríguez played a key role by recording the ~~abduction.~~ abduction and sending the footage to the group’s leadership. Regional Prosecutor Héctor Barros stated the prosecution is seeking a 20-year sentence. Notably, prosecutors allege the motive differed from typical extortion-based crimes, suggesting the target was selected due to his political profile as a dissident opposed to the Nicolás Maduro administration. Due to the high-profile nature of the case, the ~~court~~ Second Oral Criminal Court in Santiago implemented strict security protocols, including barring the general public and requiring journalists to surrender mobile phones. The investigation has identified 32 individuals, with 26 currently detained in Chile. In Colombia, ‘Operation Titan’ (Operación Titán) resulted in the capture of high-ranking leaders Richard José Espinal Quintero, known as ‘El Coti’, and Henderzon Adrián Villarroel Luque, known as ‘El Patón’. The operation, conducted by the Colombian National Police through the Dipol and GAULA-Élite units in coordination with the DEA, targeted individuals involved in transnational trafficking. Quintero, a fugitive with an Interpol red notice since 2023, served as a narcotics liaison. Villarroel Luque is accused of coordinating cocaine and weapons logistics for shipments to Central America, the United States, and Europe. Both individuals are subject to U.S. Treasury Department OFAC sanctions. Simultaneously, international law enforcement has targeted the group’s members in the United States, where the U.S. Marshals Service arrested six Venezuelan citizens in Chicago for suspected involvement in narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses.

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