Key facts
- Brazilian police arrested 25 people in a crackdown on the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
- The gang is accused of supplying weapons to Brazilian organized crime groups like Red Command.
- The operation spanned five Brazilian states.
- The U.S. previously designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization.
Brazilian police have arrested 25 individuals in a significant crackdown targeting the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua. Officials stated that the gang has developed ties with Brazilian organized crime groups, including the Red Command, and has been supplying them with high-caliber firearms. The operation involved national security forces and police in the northern state of Roraima, a key corridor for illicit trade, and included serving 30 search warrants across five states: Amazonas, Roraima, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, and Parana.
Tren de Aragua originated in Venezuela over a decade ago and has expanded as millions of Venezuelans have fled economic hardship. The gang's alleged leader, Hector Rusthenford Guerrero, was reportedly killed in a U.S. military attack, according to U.S. President Donald Trump. The U.S. State Department previously designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization, accusing Guerrero of drug trafficking and organizing cross-border acts of terror.