Caracas Chronicles

One of the first things Donald Trump did upon his return to the Oval Office was to designate El Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organization (via executive order).

El Tren de Aragua, which translates to “The Aragua Train,” is a gang that originated in Venezuela and eventually expanded to other countries. The criminal organization’s roots date back to approximately 2005, when it began as a syndicate controlling a section of the railway under construction in Aragua, the truth is that the mega gang’s name is inspired by El Tren del Llano—another criminal organization that popularized the name and transformed it into widely recognized slang.

Over time, El Tren de Aragua evolved, allegedly benefiting from the complicity of state officials. Some analysts argue that this support was either through direct action or willful neglect. Others go so far as to claim that the gang operates with state sponsorship and maintains connections with powerful political figures—allegations that the Venezuelan government denies.

El Tren de Aragua is known for its involvement in a range of criminal activities, including human trafficking, drug smuggling, and extortion. The gang has also been implicated in acts of violence such as shootings and the exploitation of fellow Venezuelan migrants, making their journey and resettlement even more perilous.

How did El Tren de Aragua extend its operations beyond Venezuela?

As told by Venezuelan investigative journalist Ronna Risquez, el Tren de Aragua has extended its reach across six Latin American countries, all of which host large Venezuelan migrant communities. The first public evidence surfaced in Peru in 2018. However, it was in Chile that El Tren de Aragua truly established itself as a significant criminal organization; one of its three leaders had a front business close to the presidential palace in Santiago (he was captured in Colombia in 2024; the other two are reportedly on the run). Colombian authorities have also accused the gang of fueling waves of violence in a region already suffering from some of the highest murder rates globally.

Estimates by the Department of Homeland Security suggest that approximately 600 individuals associated with the gang are active in the U.S.

Their gruesome tactics, such as beheadings and torture, have instilled fear in communities across Latin America and contributed, in social media and the press, to spread xenophobia against Venezuelans in general. 

Despite its growing influence, the exact extent of El Tren de Aragua’s coordination across borders and with leaders outside Venezuela remains unclear. Its growth highlights the complex connections between organized crime, widespread migration, and the socio-political challenges facing Venezuela and its neighbors.

After one exiled Venezuelan army officer was killed in Chile, speculation rose whether it was the Maduro regime or the Tren de Aragua who was behind the murder. A multinational police investigation found that the gang ordered the killing of the dissident officer to a subsidiary band, whose leader, Rafael Enrique Gámez Salas (AKA El Turco) was captured in Texas in December 2024. Today, the Chilean police raided the hideouts of this group in Santiago. 

Is there evidence of El Tren de Aragua in the U.S.?

Estimates by the Department of Homeland Security suggest that approximately 600 individuals associated with the gang are active in the U.S. The fact that El Turco, the leader of a Tren de Aragua cell, was caught on U.S. soil goes to show that yes, there’s a significant presence of gang members in the country. What is not clear, however, is the range of the organization’s operations and how established it is in the U.S.

In 2022, the Biden administration designated El Tren de Aragua as a “Transnational Criminal Organization” (TCO), joining the ranks of notorious groups like the Salvadoran Mara Salvatrucha and Italy’s Camorra. Alongside this designation, the U.S. offered a $12 million reward for information leading to the capture of three of its top leaders, underscoring the threat the government perceives. 

The lack of cooperation and information sharing between U.S. and Venezuelan authorities has hindered efforts to piece together the full scope of the gang’s activities.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott labeled El Tren de Aragua a “top-tier threat” in September, allocating more resources to state law enforcement to combat its influence. Both Texas and Colorado have established specialized police task forces to tackle the gang, although these efforts have yet to yield substantial results.

However, despite these actions, U.S. law enforcement agencies have found little to connect the gang to the individuals arrested in street crimes, with some reports linking suspects to El Tren de Aragua based solely on tattoos—though experts have disputed this as a reliable indicator. There is also no verified evidence that the individuals arrested are following directives from the gang’s leadership in Venezuela or operating as part of a coordinated, transnational network. The organization tends to control other gangs as partners or subsidiaries, in Venezuela and abroad.  

Moreover, InSight Crime’s investigation in April 2024 revealed that none of the national, state, or local law enforcement agencies they contacted reported any significant presence of El Tren de Aragua in their jurisdictions. While Venezuelan nationals have been arrested in connection with various criminal activities, these actions have not been proven to be orchestrated by El Tren de Aragua, and its role in U.S. crime remains speculative.

The lack of cooperation and information sharing between U.S. and Venezuelan authorities has hindered efforts to piece together the full scope of the gang’s activities.

The Maduro regime has consistently downplayed the gang’s significance. In a statement a year ago, the government claimed that it had dismantled El Tren de Aragua after regaining control of Tocorón prison, where the group was originally formed. This claim was met with skepticism, given the group’s known ability to adapt and thrive in the face of law enforcement crackdowns.

More recently, in July, Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yván Gil further dismissed the gang’s influence, labeling it a “fiction created by the international media.” According to the Maduro administration, the portrayal of El Tren de Aragua as a powerful transnational organization is exaggerated, and the group is not as formidable or widespread as some foreign governments suggest. At the same time, the Maduro regime accused the opposition of hiring the gang to spark violence after the electoral fraud of July 28th. This week, Attorney General Tarek William Saab said, in response to Trump’s designation, that the gang does not exist in Venezuela anymore. 

Did El Tren de Aragua take over the town of Aurora?

Aurora, a suburb of Denver, briefly became a focal point of controversy amid rising tensions and political rhetoric surrounding Venezuelan migrants and crime. The town, home to over 40,000 Venezuelan migrants in recent years, was thrust into the spotlight when former President Donald Trump visited in September 2024 and echoed a viral rumor that El Tren de Aragua had “taken over” several buildings in Aurora. The claim quickly spread across media platforms, contributing to a growing atmosphere of fear and misinformation.

One of the most dramatic reports emerged from an incident involving Moisés Didenot and his wife. While talking to neighbors outside their apartment complex on a quiet Friday evening, the couple was confronted by four men and a woman—some armed and masked—who claimed to be there to “protect” them from crime. Despite the intimidating nature of the encounter, the couple asked the group to leave, citing the presence of children in the area. 

However, local authorities in Aurora have strongly refuted these claims, accusing Trump of “grossly exaggerating” the situation. According to the city’s mayor, the apartment complexes in question, including Didenot’s residence, are owned by a single company that has faced legal troubles since 2023 due to deteriorating living conditions. The company is said to have played a role in spreading rumors of chaos in the buildings, which were further fueled by a video showing armed men entering one of the apartments. Local outlets report that the owner of the company himself was behind the false narrative.

In terms of criminal activity, the Aurora Police Department has arrested 12 individuals allegedly linked to El Tren de Aragua. These arrests, mostly involving Venezuelans under 25, have been associated with crimes such as assault, domestic violence, and attempted murder. However, the local authorities have emphasized that these are “isolated incidents” and that the characterization of the events as part of a coordinated criminal organization is inaccurate.

Are Venezuelan migrants being stereotyped as El Tren de Aragua members?

Venezuelan migrants who have been paroled into the United States since the onset of the humanitarian crisis face heightened risks due to the politicized rhetoric surrounding immigration. Trump, in particular, invoked Venezuelans more than any other nationality in his anti-immigrant campaign messages. This has amplified the stigmatization of communities like Aurora, where Venezuelan migrants are increasingly vulnerable to prejudice and threats.

Experts have expressed skepticism about the claims that some detained individuals are genuine members of El Tren de Aragua. Many suggest that the young people involved may be using the gang’s name to intimidate others, rather than having any actual ties to the organization. 

As Venezuelan migrants struggle to rebuild their lives in the U.S., they are increasingly confronted with discrimination and fear. Some, like Didenot, have encountered significant challenges finding stable housing due to the stereotype that they are connected to criminal organizations, further exacerbating their hardships.