Venezuela’s Most Wanted List Notable for Its Absences
A recently released list of Venezuela’s most wanted criminals has brought attention to some of the country’s most important organized…
Venezuela Security Policy: Combating Gang and Police-Driven Extortion
Extortion pervades nearly all levels of Venezuelan society, sowing greater fear as it becomes more violent. The repercussions of not…
Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua Loses its Home
Tren de Aragua, Venezuela’s most powerful home-grown criminal syndicate has just lost its home base, while its leadership is in…
Tren de Aragua’s Criminal Portfolio: Adapt or Die
“PEOPLE ARE NOT MERCHANDISE,” reads a billboard at the main boarding crossing from Colombia to Ecuador. Yet that is exactly…
Three Stages in the Construction of the Tren de Aragua’s Transnational Empire
“Tour operators” offering trips to Bogotá, Medellín, and even as far afield as Ecuador and Peru, swarm anyone stepping off…
Has Venezuela Prison Raid Smashed Tren de Aragua?
The Venezuelan government claimed to have “utterly dismantled” the powerful Tren de Aragua gang after seizing one of the country’s…
Venezuelan Military ‘Invades’ Notorious Prison
Early in the morning of September 20, 11,000 members of the Venezuelan security forces deployed around the notorious prison of…
Grenades Becoming Trademark of Venezuelan Extortion Gangs in Peru
A series of grenade attacks and threats linked to Venezuelan gangs and extortion in Peru reveal how the use of…
Tren de Aragua Brand Spurs Criminal Imposters Outside Venezuela
A string of arrests across the Andes has targeted extortionists posing as members of the Tren de Aragua, showing how…
Gaitanistas and Tren de Aragua Unlikely to War Over Bogotá, Colombia
Pamphlets dropped in Bogotá and videos circulating on social media suggest a looming conflict between Colombian drug trafficking outfit the…