 "Over 80 women rescued from gang involved in human trafficking, prostitution rings after Trump's crackdown")
On his first day in office, US President Donald Trump had brought the spotlight on a dangerous Venezuelan gang.
He had done so by signing an executive order that named the Tren de Aragua– a group well-known for human trafficking. He had recommended they be labelled a terrorist organisation.
Now, a crackdown on this gang, which is now present in several South American countries, including Colombia and Chile, has saved at least dozens of women and girls from the shackles of sexual abuse and human trafficking.
The operation was carried out in Peru on Friday (February 7). Led by the Peruvian National Police (PNP) with support from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit in Lima, over 300 Peruvian officers conducted simultaneous raids across multiple districts in Lima.
It led to the arrest of at least 23 alleged members of Tren de Aragua. According to a translated statement by the Embassy of US in Peru, 84 people were rescued.
Peruvian police pegged the number of victims rescued a notch higher, saying that 123 people– including three minors– had been saved.
AFP cited a police source as saying that all of the rescuees were women and girls.
Sprawling criminal network across Latin America
The gang members arrested are believed to be part of Los Hijos de Dios, a faction of the Tren de Aragua network that has operated in Peru since 2021.
Tren de Aragua traces its origins to Venezuela in 2014. The gang had begun operating from inside the country’s prisons.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsOver the period of a decade, it expanded its nefarious activities– with allegations ranging from drug smuggling and extortion to human trafficking and prostitution– across South America. It now has a foothold in Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Brazil as well.
Peru has become a key battleground in the fight against the group, with authorities conducting multiple crackdowns in recent years. In January 2024, Peruvian police rescued 40 young girls who were being sexually exploited through social networks controlled by the gang.
Trump 2.0’s crackdown
Under Trump, the US’ focus on quashing this gang is becoming more apparent. Last week, Washington announced that 10 members of Tren de Aragua had been deported to Guantanamo Bay, the US-operated prison facility in Cuba.
Around the same time, on February 1, ICE arrested Luis Gualdron– a suspected Tren de Aragua member with a history of sexual harrassment, in the US.
With inputs from agencies
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