Spanish Police Arrest 13 Suspected Members of Venezuela's Tren de Aragua Gang
Spanish authorities arrest 13 individuals, seize drugs, and dismantle two drug laboratories in operation targeting the Venezuelan prison gang.
Spanish police have arrested 13 suspected members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, seized a stash of illicit drugs, and dismantled two drug manufacturing facilities, according to a statement released by law enforcement authorities on Friday.
This operation, conducted across five Spanish cities, marks the first significant action in Spain against a cell linked to the Venezuelan prison gang, which was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government in February.
The Tren de Aragua gang emerged over a decade ago within the volatile prisons of the Venezuelan state of Aragua, and has since expanded rapidly due to the mass migration of more than 7.7 million Venezuelans fleeing economic instability towards other Latin American countries, including Spain.
This operation followed an investigation that began after the brother of 'Niño Guerrero,' the reputed leader of the gang, was apprehended in Barcelona on an international arrest warrant issued by Venezuelan authorities.
The police dismantled two laboratories producing tusi, a combination of cocaine, MDMA, and ketamine, during their crackdown.
The operation comes amidst ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to combat drug trafficking in South American waters.
In recent months, U.S. forces have launched multiple strikes on boats suspected of carrying narcotics, resulting in at least 69 fatalities across 17 such incidents.
The U.S. President has defended these actions under the premise that his country is engaged in an 'armed conflict' with drug cartels including the Tren de Aragua gang.
The arrests were conducted in Barcelona, Madrid, Girona, A Coruña, and Valencia.
This operation, conducted across five Spanish cities, marks the first significant action in Spain against a cell linked to the Venezuelan prison gang, which was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government in February.
The Tren de Aragua gang emerged over a decade ago within the volatile prisons of the Venezuelan state of Aragua, and has since expanded rapidly due to the mass migration of more than 7.7 million Venezuelans fleeing economic instability towards other Latin American countries, including Spain.
This operation followed an investigation that began after the brother of 'Niño Guerrero,' the reputed leader of the gang, was apprehended in Barcelona on an international arrest warrant issued by Venezuelan authorities.
The police dismantled two laboratories producing tusi, a combination of cocaine, MDMA, and ketamine, during their crackdown.
The operation comes amidst ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to combat drug trafficking in South American waters.
In recent months, U.S. forces have launched multiple strikes on boats suspected of carrying narcotics, resulting in at least 69 fatalities across 17 such incidents.
The U.S. President has defended these actions under the premise that his country is engaged in an 'armed conflict' with drug cartels including the Tren de Aragua gang.
The arrests were conducted in Barcelona, Madrid, Girona, A Coruña, and Valencia.
