Kidnappings, murders, extortions and crimes that, until a decade ago, seemed very far away for Chileans, have now become part of everyday life and the main events that make the headlines of the local press and newscasts.
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According to experts, the phenomenon has been driven by the Mass arrival of immigrants in irregular conditions that has allowed transnational criminal gangs to enter camouflaged among the foreigners arriving in the country through unauthorized steps to dozens of criminals.
According to reports from the Chilean Prosecutor’s Office, there are at least 12 transnational gangs operating in the southern country and which the government of President Gabriel Boric tries to confront them, often, in alliance with the countries from which they come: Colombia, Venezuela and Perumainly, although there are also known to be others that come from Caribbean areas such as the Dominican Republic and even from far away China.
“Chile does not have to become one of those countries where organized crime takes over. We have a problem, this problem has been going on for a long time, and we cannot really minimize it. If we do not react, it could certainly become a point of no return,” said Interior Minister Carolina Tohá.
However, the security crisis affecting what was once one of the safest countries in South America goes beyond its internal situation and is based on the new dynamics that criminal gangs have found in the region to expand their tentacles to different countries.
We have a problem, this problem has been developing for a long time, we cannot really minimize it. If we do not react, it can certainly become a point of no return.
“In Chile we have had a very radical change regarding transnational organized crime.. For a couple of years now, we have had to work on investigations into transnational criminal organizations, something that was not common in Chile. Rather, we had national and neighborhood organizations, more dedicated to drug trafficking and micro-trafficking. But today we are facing a different scenario, with another type of organization, with greater use of firearms and violence,” Tania Gajardo, deputy director of the Organized Crime Unit of the Chilean Prosecutor’s Office, told EL TIEMPO.
The tentacles of the Aragua Train in Chile
Without a doubt, the foreign gang with the greatest presence and greatest danger in Chile is currently the Tren de Aragua, this structure that was identified in 2021, initially appeared as a force dedicated to migrant trafficking in the northern area of Tarapacá, on the border with Bolivia. However, In recent years it has become established as a complex criminal network that has expanded and created other branches in the underworld, such as the so-called Gallegos.
“In relation, for example, to the Aragua Train and Los Gallegos, they are groups that have had their actions rather in the northern part of the country, also in the central part, with little presence in the south. These are organizations that are dedicated to human trafficking, illegal migrant trafficking, drug trafficking, and arms trafficking. There are homicides that are also linked to their actions, to their territorial control,” said prosecutor Gajardo.
These are organizations that are dedicated to human trafficking, illegal migrant trafficking, drug trafficking, and arms trafficking. There are also homicides that are linked to their actions, to their territorial control.
The Gallegos, considered the armed wing of the Tren de Aragua in Chile, are currently facing a trial, in which 30 of the accused are Venezuelan and 4 of Chilean nationality, who are serving preventive detention in different prisons, after having consolidated an empire dedicated to crime in the city of Arica (north), where criminals, who belonged to this gang, decided to form another dangerous group known as “Tren del Coro” to dispute control of drug trafficking.
“They have cells of illicit work such as sex trafficking, human trafficking, drug trafficking and extortion. They receive a certain amount of money monthly, weekly or daily, and they are the lords and masters of that territory. They establish a kind of microstate in this territory and that is the way in which these types of criminal groups establish themselves.“, former commissioner of the Chilean Investigative Police, Eduardo Labarca, told EL TIEMPO.
These cells are joined by the one identified as “Los Piratas”, a group to which belonged some of the suspects of the kidnapping and murder of former Venezuelan lieutenant Ronald Ojeda, which shocked Chile when his remains were found in a suitcase buried under cement.
Los Chotas and Los Espartanos, Colombian gangs that coordinate with Venezuelans
Although most of the gangs operating in Chile are of Venezuelan origin, there is also the presence of gangs made up of Colombians such as Los Chotas and Los Espartanos, and criminal groups from the Dominican Republic, Peru and China have recently been identified.
There is very important coordination with Colombia, there are joint investigation teams, especially in the area of human trafficking and other phenomena related to transnational organized crime.
“There is very important coordination with Colombia, there are joint investigation teams, especially in the area of human trafficking and other phenomena related to transnational organized crime. There is also coordination with Venezuela, especially since recently we have had high-impact social crimes related to Venezuelan citizens,” prosecutor Gajardo told EL TIEMPO.
The prosecutor added that, with the Dominican Republic, “there have been relations for many years regarding investigations.” “Here we had many investigations of human trafficking related to citizens of this country approximately a decade ago,” she pointed out.
According to the Boric government, by the end of its mandate, in 2026, the Ministry of Security is expected to be created.and a more advanced state intelligence system to confront an ecosystem of transnational gangs that has turned Chile into fertile ground for the expansion of criminal networks in South America.
Andrea Aguilar Cordoba
Special for EL TIEMPO
Santiago de Chile
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