InSight Crime

In this episode, we explore the rise of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that has gained international infamy in recent years. From its home base in a Venezuelan prison, Tren de Aragua rapidly expanded its influence across South America, and reports of alleged cells are surfacing with increasing frequency in the United States. But what’s really behind this gang’s meteoric rise? We take a deep dive into its history and current operations, shedding light on the myths and misconceptions surrounding its ascent. How exactly does the gang operate across borders? What are its connections to the Venezuelan government? What is the gang’s current structure, and how much of a threat does it really pose? To answer these questions, we speak with our deputy director of content, Mike LaSusa, who helps us break down the reality of Tren de Aragua. As the gang continues to make headlines across the region, we give you the history and context needed to understand the latest developments. Visit insightcrime.org [https://insightcrime.org] for more information.

El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, ha puesto a la banda criminal de origen venezolano, el Tren de Aragua, en el centro del huracán de sus políticas antimigratorias. Pero con tantas noticias sobre la organización, puede ser difícil distinguir la realidad de la ficción. Aquí presentamos lo que realmente se necesita saber sobre la banda que se ha convertido en uno de los grupos criminales más notorios del mundo. 3 claves para entender al Tren de Aragua [https://insightcrime.org/es/noticias/3-claves-para-entender-tren-de-aragua/] | Escrito por el equipo de InSight Crime y leído por Daniel Reyes. Visite insightcrime.org [https://insightcrime.org/es/] para más información.

El 6 de marzo, unos 20 hombres armados del grupo criminal los Tiguerones acecharon las colinas de los alrededores de Guayaquil, el principal puerto y la ciudad más grande de Ecuador. Su objetivo era claro: eliminar a sus enemigos, que también eran, técnicamente, Tiguerones. En horas de la tarde, los sicarios irrumpieron en varias viviendas y ejecutaron a sus objetivos a quemarropa. A otros los persiguieron por las calles, sembrando el caos en el sector mientras los residentes corrían en busca de refugio. “Justo entramos [a la casa] y [escuchamos] bum bum bum”, dijo una residente, quien habló con InSight Crime bajo condición de anonimato por motivos de seguridad. “Nos pusimos a llorar… fue una cosa de terror”. El ataque estaba dirigido a integrantes de la banda y no duró más de unos minutos, explicó el teniente coronel Herbie Guamaní. En ese momento, Guamaní era el jefe de Policía del extenso distrito noroccidental de Guayaquil que abarca Socio Vivienda, el barrio donde ocurrió la masacre. Masacres, alianzas y traiciones: la guerra interna que dividió a los Tiguerones de Ecuador [https://insightcrime.org/es/noticias/masacres-alianzas-traiciones-guerra-interna-dividio-tiguerones-ecuador/] | Escrito por Gavin Voss y leído por Daniel Reyes. Visite insightcrime.org [https://insightcrime.org/es/] para más información.

On March 6, about 20 armed members of the Tiguerones criminal group lurked in the hills on the outskirts of Guayaquil, Ecuador’s port hub and largest city. They had a clear goal: to take out their enemies, who were also, technically, Tiguerones. In the early afternoon, the assassins broke into local homes, shooting dead their targets at close range. They chased others through the streets, wreaking havoc on the sector as residents ran for cover. “We had just entered [our house] and [we heard] boom boom boom,” one resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, told InSight Crime. “We started to cry … it was terrifying.” The attack was targeted at gang members, and lasted no more than a few minutes, said Lieutenant Colonel Herbie Guamaní. At the time of the massacre, Guamaní was police chief of Guayaquil’s vast northwestern district, which includes Socio Vivienda, the neighborhood where it happened. Massacres, Alliances, and Betrayals: Inside the Gang War That Tore Ecuador’s Tiguerones Apart [https://insightcrime.org/news/eye-tigers-gang-splits-push-ecuador-brink/] | Written by Gavin Voss and read by Daniel Reyes. Visit insightcrime.org [https://insightcrime.org] for more information.

One morning in September 2024, Ana Rosa Sánchez* arrived early to begin her morning routine at a seafood restaurant in Altata, a small fishing village in the Pacific coast state of Sinaloa. But as she awaited her first clients, her phone started buzzing. Culiacán had erupted into chaos with reports of gunfights, killings, and arson attacks. Without thinking twice, Sánchez closed the metal doors to the restaurant and locked them shut. She wouldn’t open them again for four months. Altata is located just about 40 minutes west of Culiacán, the capital city of Sinaloa. For years it has been a favorite destination for locals to spend a weekend enjoying the beach, eating fresh seafood, and listening to the state’s famous banda style of music. But that sense of calm vanished starting on September 9, 2024, the date that many in Sinaloa have marked as the unofficial beginning of the internal war between the Chapitos and Mayiza, the two most powerful factions of the Sinaloa Cartel. As Sinaloa Cartel War Rages On, An Economy Bleeds Dry in Culiacán, Mexico [https://insightcrime.org/news/sinaloa-cartel-war-culiacan-economy-bleeds-mexico/] | Written by Victoria Dittmar and Parker Asmann, and read by Parker Asmann. Part of our Special Series: The Sinaloa Cartel’s Internal War. [https://insightcrime.org/special-series-sinaloa-cartel-internal-war/] Visit insightcrime.org [https://insightcrime.org] for more information.