The leader of the Aragua Train in Chile was captured in Colombia
Carlos Gomez, leader of the criminal group Tren de Aragua in Chile, was arrested this Saturday in Colombia in an operation in which the police institutions of both countries intervened.
The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, reported in a publication in X that the capture of Gómez, alias Bobby, occurred in the municipality of Los Patios, east of the Colombian department of Norte de Santander, in the early morning hours.
“The police collaboration with Chilean and Colombian intelligence achieved this great success in the security of Chileans and Colombians,” he added.
Police broke into an apartment to find Gómez with a woman in a bedroom, according to a video released by Petro. While an agent pointed a gun at him, the man, who was lying on a bed, He placed himself face down and complied with the “hands behind the neck” order.
In the early hours of today, in a police operation in Los Patios (N de S) Carlos Gómez, alias Bobby, head of the multinational gang Tren de Aragua in Chile, was captured.
Police collaboration with Chilean and Colombian intelligence achieved this great success in the security of… pic.twitter.com/0N7dUFqhqP
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) December 7, 2024
“We advance together in security, firm against organized crime,” said Chilean President Gabriel Boric.
The Chilean Police stated on the same social network: “A crucial blow has been struck against organized crime (…) This arrest represents significant progress in the fight against transnational crime and reaffirms the commitment of the authorities to guarantee the safety of our citizens.” communities.
Gómez was wanted by Chile since 2022 for kidnapping, homicide and drug trafficking. In addition, he is considered the right-hand man of the top leader of the Tren de Aragua, Héctor Rustherford Guerrero Flores, alias Niño Guerrero.
Aragua Train
The Aragua Train was born in the Tocorón prison, in Aragua, led by Niño Guerrero.
Since its immense expansion in 2013, the Aragua Train He came to take territories of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile, and in Venezuela its presence was recorded in the states of Aragua, Lara, Yaracuy, Bolívar, Sucre, Miranda, Táchira, Guárico, Carabobo, Trujillo, Apure and Zulia.
In the United States, authorities registered the presence of members of the Aragua Train in the states of New York, Florida, Chicago, and Texas, and their criminal activities extend to other states such as Virginia, Louisiana, and New Jersey.
«As the cells consolidated, they permeated local criminal economies, using selective and striking violence to expel local groups and constitute themselves as a serious threat. In addition to extortion and migrant smuggling, the Tren de Aragua factions abroad control a system of illegal loans (also known as gota a gota), micro-trafficking, kidnapping, small-scale international drug trafficking, trafficking of people and robberies. Each cell specializes in different activities, depending on local conditions,” explained InSight Crime.
It is still unclear where the new core of the group will be after the invasion of Tocorón in September 2023. However, There is no indication that the gang has stopped operating in Venezuela.
Related News
Independent journalism needs the support of its readers to continue and ensure that the uncomfortable news they don’t want you to read remains within your reach. Today, with your support, we will continue working hard for censorship-free journalism!