21 Mar El Tren de Aragua An Existential Threat to the United States

By,

William Acosta, SME, MSI2

Jesús Daniel Romero, Senior Fellow, MSI2

The Tren de Aragua has undergone a remarkable transformation since its beginnings as a prison gang in Venezuela, becoming one of the most powerful and feared criminal organizations in Latin America today.

Its influence extends beyond Venezuelan borders, reaching as far as Colombia, Peru, Chile, the United States, and Spain. This phenomenon has drawn the attention of international authorities, who view the Tren de Aragua as a key player in transnational organized crime (Interpol, 2024).

Transnational Organized Crime Rewards Program

The evolution of the Tren de Aragua cannot be understood without considering the socioeconomic context of Venezuela. The deep crisis facing the country led millions of Venezuelans to seek opportunities abroad, creating a favorable environment for the expansion of this criminal organization. In the prison of Tocorón, the Tren de Aragua has operated with the complicity and direction of Maduro’s regime, establishing a control system allowing it to operate without significant restrictions (Human Rights Watch, 2023). Despite the Venezuelan government’s efforts to regain control of the Tocorón prison by mobilizing 11,000 security forces, the organization’s leadership managed to evade capture, demonstrating the group’s resilience and adaptability.

Weapons Seized at the Tocorón Prison

The Tren de Aragua is not limited to drug trafficking and extortion. Its criminal portfolio is extensive, including activities such as illegal gold, coltan mining, and the exploitation of other natural resources inside Venezuela and in neighboring countries. The trafficking of gasoline through las trochas, the illegal land border routes between Venezuela and Colombia, smuggling, human trafficking, and contract killing and extortion are also part of its operations (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime [UNODC], 2023).

The organization has forged strategic alliances with other criminal groups in the region, including the National Liberation Army and the FARC in Colombia, allowing them to diversify their income sources and strengthen their criminal network. Additionally, its complicity in the persecution of Venezuelan dissidents abroad has been documented, acting as a repressive arm of the regime leaving behind a trail of blood and violence (Human Rights Watch, 2023).

The sophistication of the Tren de Aragua is evident in its access to computer hardware and software in Bitcoin mining, which requires a unique set of skills and training. Furthermore, they rely on the internet and cell phones to help expand its reaches.

The relationship between the Tren de Aragua and the Venezuelan government is complex and multifaceted. The organization’s leaders, known as pranes, maintain direct lines of communication with state institutions such as the DGCIN and the SEBIN, enabling them to operate with impunity (Human Rights Watch, 2023). This complicity has led the organization to participate in kidnapping and execution operations outside national territory, consolidating its role as a tool of social and political control for the regime. Tarek William Saab, Venezuela’s Attorney General, stated that the Tren de Aragua was a myth created by Venezuela’s opposition and the United States to undermine Venezuela’s stability. He would later change his tune after the Venezuelan military intervened in seizing and controlling Tocorón. However, this time he affirmed that the Tren de Aragua had been dismantled.

Tarek William Saab

One of the most disturbing aspects of the Tren de Aragua is its operational capacity. Members of the organization have received paramilitary training in weapons and explosives handling. When authorities were able to take control of the Tocorón prison, they seized various weapons including rockets, small and large caliber rifles, rounds of ammunition of different caliber, grenades, and C4 explosives that are controlled by the Venezuelan military industry, highlighting the regime’s connection with the Tren de Aragua. Additionally, computers and software for mining bitcoins were found, indicating the sophistication of the group’s operations. This discovery reveals the deep complicity between the criminal organization and state institutions. The construction of a tunnel built in Tocorón prison was 800 meters long and exited near Lake Valencia, facilitating members of the organization to escape. Air transport facilitated by the state suggests a deep complicity between the group and Venezuelan authorities (Human Rights Watch, 2023).

The globalization of the Tren de Aragua phenomenon is evident. In the United States, over 100 cases of criminal activities attributed to its members have been reported, including shootings and murders (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE], 2025). The organization has managed to infiltrate Venezuelan communities abroad, exploiting the migration crisis to establish its criminal networks (InSight Crime, 2024). In Spain, operations linked to the organization have been identified, indicating a rapid expansion of its international influence and posing a significant challenge for authorities in various countries.

In the face of this growing threat, it is crucial for governments in Latin America and beyond to implement a more effective information exchange system. The creation of shared databases would facilitate collaboration between security forces and intelligence agencies, allowing for more effective tracking of Tren de Aragua members (Interpol, 2024). Additionally, dismantling the financial and logistical support networks that sustain the organization should be prioritized, as well as addressing the conditions that have allowed its proliferation.

It is essential for security and justice agencies to receive adequate training on the modus operandi of the Tren de Aragua. This training should include analyzing the language used by its members, the structure of its cells, and the methods they employ to move money and carry out their criminal operations. Understanding how this organization operates is crucial for formulating effective crime-fighting strategies.

The structure of the Tren de Aragua is highly organized and autonomous, allowing them to be extremely adaptable and resilient. Each cell can specialize in different criminal activities, diversifying their income sources and strengthening their criminal network. Furthermore, the use of specific language and codes among members allows them to communicate effectively and maintain the security of their operations.

The hierarchy of the Tren de Aragua is organized into clearly defined levels. At the top is the pran or papá, followed by the luceros de la alta, the luceros de la baja, and finally the gariteros. The term “PRAN” means Remorseless Prisoner Born Killer and refers to the top of the hierarchy who controls a penal facility, jail, prison, or detention site. Former President Hugo Chávez understood the significance and potential of these individuals while he served time in jail following the coup. He would later designate Iris Varela to head the prison system with the ultimate goal of utilizing these criminals against the opposition, thus placing some distance between the government and “the common street crime.”

Iris Varela

Governments in the region must send a clear and strong message about the severity of the consequences for those who become involved with the Tren de Aragua. This means establishing long and effective sentences for crimes related to this organization, which would serve as a deterrent for future crimes. Creating a solid legal framework that includes severe penalties is essential to show that organized crime will not be tolerated.

It is vital to reform prison conditions to prevent pranes from maintaining control within prisons. Prisons must be adequately equipped and managed to ensure that criminal leaders cannot continue operating from within. This includes establishing stricter security protocols and implementing rehabilitation and reintegration programs that seek to dismantle the criminal cycle.

Success in the fight against the Tren de Aragua and other criminal organizations depends on a comprehensive approach that combines training for security forces, implementing stricter justice policies, and reforming the penitentiary system. Only through a coordinated and joint effort can the influence of this group be weakened and security and order restored in affected communities (Interpol, 2024).

In conclusion, the Tren de Aragua has evolved from being a prison gang to becoming a transnational criminal threat that affects security across Latin America and beyond. Its adaptability, diversification in criminal activities, and ties to the Venezuelan regime make it a significant challenge to regional stability. The response to this phenomenon must be robust and coordinated, focusing on prevention, repression, and rehabilitation to mitigate its impact and protect vulnerable communities.

This landscape highlights the complexity of the Tren de Aragua’s phenomenon, which not only represents a challenge to public safety in the United States but also reflects interactions between organized crime and Venezuelan extended politics. To effectively confront this threat, the U.S. federal government should designate the Tren de Aragua as an existential threat to the United States, taking the lead to help, assist, resource, and train state and local governments to successfully counter this problem (U.S. Department of State, 2024). 

The TDA has already left an impression of its effectiveness and how quickly it spread, causing havoc in Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, and Peru, leaving a trail of blood and violence. While Texas Governor Abbott designated el Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terror Organization, the federal government labeled it as a Transnational Criminal Organization (U.S. Department of State, 2024). In reality, the TDA should be considered a criminal terrorist extension of the Venezuelan government, the real nucleus of the problem.

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References 

Human Rights Watch. (2023). Venezuela: Security force abuses at Colombia border. https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/04/11/venezuela-security-force-abuses-colombia-border

InSight Crime. (2024, October 4). What we know about Tren de Aragua’s US presence. https://insightcrime.org/news/what-we-know-about-tren-de-araguas-us-presence/

Interpol. (2024). 2024 annual report. https://www.interpol.int/en/News-and-Events/Publications/Annual-Reports

United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). (2023). World drug report 2023. United Nations. https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/world-drug-report-2023.html

U.S. Department of State. (2024, July 11). Designation of Tren de Aragua as a significant transnational criminal organization. https://www.state.gov/designation-of-tren-de-aragua-as-a-significant-transnational-criminal-organization/

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). (2025, February 26). Tren de Aragua gang members wanted for murder in North Texas arrested. https://www.ice.gov/news/releases/tren-de-aragua-gang-members-wanted-murder-north-texas-arrested