- According to authorities, a large part of the dismantled criminal structure was made up of Venezuelan citizens | Photo: PDI
Chilean security forces arrested 34 suspects in the coastal region of Viña del Mar in an operation carried out by the Investigative Police (PDI) to dismantle a faction of the Tren de Aragua, a transnational gang originating in the Venezuelan state of Aragua, among which is the alleged leader of the organization in this area.
Speaking to the press on Thursday, August 29, the deputy director of Police and Criminal Investigation of the PDI, Hugo Haeger, explained that a large part of the dismantled criminal structure was made up of Venezuelan citizens.
“To date, we have 11 Venezuelan citizens who are under arrest and who will soon be placed at the disposal of the Viña del Mar Guarantee Court,” he said.
Details of the operation
A total of 450 PDI officers worked simultaneously and raided 69 homes in the communes of Limache, Villa Alemana and Viña del Mar where they seized drugs, weapons and money, in addition to carrying out investigative tasks focused on money laundering crimes associated with the group’s work.
The investigation, carried out in coordination with the Organized Crime and Homicide Team (ECOH) of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Specialized Prosecutor’s Office for Criminal Analysis and Investigative Focus (SACFI), determined that the criminal organization had already been established for several months in the Oceanic region.
There are three homicides associated with the structure of this organization, which are still under investigation, but there is already sufficient evidence to determine the responsibility of this organization and of specific individuals,” said General Haeger.
He added that his most recent homicide was that of “a person who died from multiple bullet impacts approximately a month ago.”
The operation is part of efforts by President Gabriel Boric’s government to address the security crisis in Chile, which has been aggravated by a significant increase in deaths due to conflicts between armed gangs, which in August alone caused 30 homicides in the metropolitan area of Santiago.
Boric called for unity among political parties to confront the problems arising from organized crime and drug trafficking, identifying them as the country’s main adversaries.
Wave of violence in Chile
The government has responded to the situation by enacting a reform of the Penal Code that toughens penalties for repeat offenders, grants greater investigative powers to security forces and guarantees greater protection to institutional actors involved in the fight against crime.
The escalation of violence is also linked to the recent wave of migration and the emergence of foreign criminal groups, such as the Tren de Aragua, which seek to control drug trafficking routes in Chile.
The Tren de Aragua, which began as a prison gang, has become an international criminal organization, extending its presence to countries such as Chile, Peru, Colombia and Brazil.
With information from EFE
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2024-08-30 21:09:24
