Tren de Aragua, one of Venezuela’s most powerful criminal groups, expanded its reach even while its leaders were imprisoned, according to the US State Department. The gang is said to have taken control of gold mines in Bolívar state, drug trafficking routes along Venezuela’s Caribbean coast, and illegal border crossings between Venezuela and Colombia. Its growth accelerated after Venezuela’s humanitarian and economic crisis began in 2014, a period that weakened traditional criminal markets and helped push the group beyond national borders. Authorities now believe it has active cells or nodes in eight other countries, including the United States.
The organization has grown by building alliances with local criminal networks rather than operating alone. In Ecuador, it is believed to cooperate with groups loosely connected to Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel. In Colombia, some allegations suggest links to members of the National Liberation Army, or ELN, a left-wing guerrilla group. These partnerships have helped Tren de Aragua embed itself in different parts of the region and widen its influence across multiple illicit economies.
The gang has also become part of a broader US crackdown on transnational crime and drug trafficking. Under the Trump administration, US forces have carried out dozens of strikes on boats they say were involved in smuggling drugs into the United States, including vessels allegedly linked to Tren de Aragua. According to US media reports, more than 200 people have been killed in these strikes since September. However, the military has not publicly presented evidence that the targeted boats were carrying drugs or drug traffickers, prompting criticism and raising questions about the legality of the campaign.
Legal experts have argued that the strikes may violate international law because they appear to target civilians without due process. They say that even suspected smugglers are entitled to legal protections and that lethal force in such cases requires strong justification. The Trump administration has defended the operations, saying they are lawful under its interpretation of the conflict.
In a statement to Congress last year, the White House said President Donald Trump had determined the United States was engaged in a formal armed conflict with drug cartels and that crews on drug-running boats should be treated as combatants. That position remains highly controversial, as critics question both the evidence behind the strikes and the legal basis for treating narcotics trafficking as wartime activity.
The case of Tren de Aragua highlights how a prison-based gang evolved into a transnational criminal network with reach across South America and into the US. It also underscores the growing tension between efforts to combat organized crime and the legal limits on the use of military force.
