TATT: 11,000 from the military and police entered the prison to regain control from the dreaded Tren de Aragua gang. Photo: Handout
10,000 soldiers are said to have been in action when the authorities took back control. The notorious gang leader got away, however.
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Less than 10 minutes ago
The Tocorón prison in Venezuela has long been ruled by the feared Tren de Aragua gang.
The prison served as the gang’s headquarters, where there was, among other things, a zoo, a pool and a gambling room, writes Sky News. Among other things, the gang is said to have managed their international criminal operations from the prison.
Insight Crime points out that Tren de Aragua has a presence in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile. They are one of the most powerful and notorious gangs in Venezuela, and over time the members have been able to move freely in prison.
On Wednesday this week, more than 10,000 soldiers and police stormed the prison, in an operation that must have been planned for over a year.
RIVER: An excavator and a wheel loader tear up the innards in the prison that the inmates have built up. Photo: YURI CORTEZ / AFP
Escaped
However, the gang leader was nowhere to be found, and both Venezuela’s Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior have released his name and photo and announced a reward for anyone who can provide information on the leader’s whereabouts.
– Now we are preparing for the second phase of the operation. We are moving towards a Venezuela free of criminal gangs, writes President Nicolás Maduro on X/Twitter.
CHECK: Venezuelan security forces are now standing guard at the Tocorón prison. Photo: YURI CORTEZ / AFP
Four people have been arrested, suspected of collaborating with criminals in the prison. The prison was evacuated in connection with the storming, and other prisoners sentenced to death have been moved to another facility, according to the authorities.
According to the independent organization OVV, gang leaders had received tips about what was going on and left the prison a week earlier. They are also believed to have left the country.
The organization is now accusing the authorities in the country of not having been honest about the storming and the planning in advance.
PRESS CONFERENCE: Venezuela’s Minister of the Interior and Justice, Admiral Remigio Ceballos, speaks during a press conference at the Tocorón prison, after the storming. Photo: YURI CORTEZ / AFPPublished:
Published: 24.09.23 at 03:43
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2023-09-24 01:43:19
#control #gangrun #prison #pool #zoo
