By John Caicedo | 2025-02-12

LIMA -- About 120 women, including three minors, were rescued in a joint operation by the Peruvian National Police (PNP) and US Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) officers from the US Embassy in Lima.

The operation, conducted on February 7, led to the capture of 24 members of the Tren de Aragua gang.

HSI provided support to more than 300 PNP officers in multiple raids across Lima's metropolitan area, targeting a faction of the gang known as "The Children of God."

On February 8, the US Embassy in Lima confirmed the arrests and the rescue of the victims.

US Ambassador to Peru Stephanie Syptak-Ramnath emphasized that transnational criminal organizations "have no place in the region."

"The success of this operation, led by the Peruvian National Police with the support of the United States, is a testament to the great work we can accomplish together to improve the security of our citizens and our shared region," she said, according to the embassy.

Criminal network

Gen. Aldo Ávila, director of the PNP's Office Against Human Trafficking and Smuggling of Migrants, highlighted the crucial role of HSI Lima in the operation.

The US agency provided "technology and logistical support for this Mega Operation," he said, according to a report by RPP, Peru's leading radio station.

"This effort," Ávila emphasized, "has been coordinated with the American investigation unit, which is assisting us with technology and logistics in all our operations."

The PNP has been collaborating with the US government since 2022 to dismantle Tren de Aragua, he said.

While the organization and its factions have been significantly weakened in Peru, they have shifted tactics, "now relying on Peruvian collaborators to continue their human trafficking activities," he added.

With logistical support from HSI Lima, the PNP has been aggressively pursuing Tren de Aragua since 2022. This effort resulted in the capture of more than 600 members in 2024, according to official reports.

The February 7 operation against Tren de Aragua marks a significant step for national security, given the gang's major role in driving high crime rates in Peru, Javier Arenas, an analyst of politics and organized crime, told Entorno.

Arenas, social development manager at Dialogo Social Consultora, emphasized the strong cooperation between the United States and Peru in "directly targeting crime and drug trafficking."

However, Tren de Aragua operates with a structured hierarchy, meaning mid-level members are likely to step up and fill the void left by recent arrests, he said.

Peru's crime wave

Tren de Aragua, which has roots in Venezuela, has expanded its operations across several Latin American countries, including Peru, where its illicit activities have severely impacted public safety.

In Lima, the gang engages in a range of crimes, with human trafficking one of its most lucrative and heinous operations. Women and minors are subjected to sexual and labor exploitation, making it a grotesque source of profit.

Tren de Aragua thrives on extorting large sums of money from merchants, business owners and ordinary citizens under the threat of violence.

Kidnapping is another tool. The gang targets rich individuals or family members who can pay hefty ransoms.

The gang's criminal activities extend to armed robberies of vehicles, homes and businesses, as well as drug trafficking -- mainly cocaine.

Additionally, contract killings are a common practice. Hired assassins eliminate rivals or individuals who refuse to comply with extortion.

Tren de Aragua has developed a hierarchical structure that enables it to operate efficiently while evading law enforcement, security analysts warn. Some of its key tactics include infiltrating vulnerable communities by offering "protection" in exchange for loyalty and cooperation.

The gang also employs extreme violence and terror to subdue populations and rivals. It fosters a climate of fear that allows it to act with impunity.

Moreover, the organization strategically forges alliances with other local and international criminal groups to expand its influence and operational reach.

Origins in a Venezuelan prison

Tren de Aragua, labeled a terrorist organization by the United States, originated about 12 to 14 years ago in a syndicate controlling a section of a railroad under construction in Aragua state, Venezuela.

The group initially extorted contractors, sold jobs and earned the nickname "those of Tren de Aragua," according to criminology professor Luis Izquiel, interviewed by BBC Mundo on December 18.

Many gang members, including leader Hector Rusthenford Guerrero ("Niño Guerrero"), were incarcerated in Tocorón prison, southwest of Caracas, where the gang began to gain strength.

The US government is offering a $5 million reward for information leading to Guerrero's capture.

A 2023 InSight-Crime study revealed that the group evolved from a prison-based gang to a transnational crime syndicate, becoming a major threat in South America.

The gang's rise was fueled by Venezuela's government policy of ceding control of prisons to gang leaders, or "pranes," who took over critical services like food, drugs and security.

First reported outside Venezuela in 2018, Tren de Aragua soon expanded to Colombia, the main destination for Venezuelan migrants.

The gang has now established a presence in Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Brazil, Bolivia, Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico and the United States.