Tren De Aragua: The Venezuelan Gang Deported by Trump

Photo : AP

The Trump government sent about 300 members of a gang called Tren de Aragua back to El Salvador on Sunday. These people were deported despite a court ruling that said they should not be sent back.

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The U.S. government agreed to pay El Salvador $6 million to keep the gang members in prison for a year. This deal helps keep the gang members in jail even though the deportations were challenged in court.

A U.S. judge had told the government to stop sending people back under an old law, but the deportation still happened because the judge's order wasn’t written down in time. President Trump said that the leader of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, supported the gang secretly and used them to hurt the U.S. Trump also called Tren de Aragua a terrorist group when he first became president.

Tren de Aragua is a gang that started in Venezuela in the 2000s. They began in a prison called Tocoron, where they made it a fancy place with swimming pools, gyms, and even a zoo. The gang became very powerful under Hector Guerrero Flores, who escaped from prison in 2012 by paying a guard. He was caught again, but he turned the prison into a luxury spot for gang members. He used the Caribbean area to move drugs and controlled illegal border crossings.

The gang is involved in many crimes like drug dealing, stealing, and smuggling people. They operate in several countries in Latin America, including Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and Mexico, and they also work in the U.S.

The leaders of the gang control both the prison and outside operations by paying off police, politicians, and guards. They smuggle drugs like cocaine and marijuana, and they also force people trying to leave Venezuela to join their criminal activities.

Venezuela is in a very bad situation, with many people leaving the country because of the economy and political problems. This has made it easier for the gang to recruit people who are looking for money, food, and shelter. The gang is spreading through refugee camps and border towns.

It is reported that 600 Venezuelan migrants in the U.S. have connections to Tren de Aragua. As of 2023, around 770,000 Venezuelans are living in the U.S. Many of them were given special protection because of the problems back home.