US law enforcement officials in Louisiana allegedly dismantled a sex trafficking network led by three Venezuelan nationals, CNN en Español report On Wednesday, one of them was allegedly a member of the international crime organization Tren de Aragua.
One victim said that a sex trafficking ring arranged for them to be smuggled into the United States and instructed them on how to apply for asylum with U.S. authorities, before forcing them into prostitution to repay “debts” incurred for smuggling them onto U.S. territory.
Tren de Aragua is an international criminal organization that began as a local labor gang in the Venezuelan state of Aragua in 2012. Over the past decade, the gang has dramatically evolved to become a fully-fledged crime syndicate active in Latin American countries and the United States. The gang is involved in a wide range of criminal activities, from murder, theft, extortion, smuggling and kidnapping, to drug, human and arms trafficking.
Crime organisations are mainly Believed It has deep ties to Venezuela’s socialist regime, which has allegedly allowed the gang to expand into the now multinational country. The regime has repeatedly said that Tren de Aragua is “not existIt has also been said that this is part of an international campaign to tarnish the image of the Venezuelan government.
According to court documents that CNN Spanish claims to have obtained from the Middle District Court in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the sex trafficking ring was led by a man who identified himself as Josemar Jesus Zambrano Chirinos, an alleged Venezuelan gang member.
In addition to Zambrano Chirinos, Louisiana authorities arrested two Venezuelan nationals, Albert Herrera Machado and Osladi Vanessa Chorio Diaz, who were reportedly charged with forced sex trafficking, fraud and extortion.
The news network claimed that US authorities believe the sex trafficking ring operates in Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, New Jersey and Florida.
CNN reported that, according to an affidavit from the agent in charge of the investigation, the Border Patrol Intelligence Unit in El Paso, Texas, contacted Homeland Security Investigations in Baton Rouge on April 17 to alert them to a suspected case of sex trafficking.
One victim, whose name was withheld and identified only as “Victim 1,” reported that she had been under Zambrano Chirinos’ control and identified him as the leader of a sex trafficking ring run by Tren de Aragua in the United States.
The victims allegedly testified that they had paid Zambrano Chirinos to smuggle themselves into the United States through El Paso, then “recovered their debts” through sexual exploitation of the victims. The victims allegedly claimed that, by their own estimation, there were at least 30 victims of the trafficking ring on U.S. soil.
CNN reported that documents reviewed showed investigators contacted the victim on WhatsApp, where she said she feared Tren de Aragua members would kill or harm her children if she did not comply. The victim reportedly claimed she was informed that Tren de Aragua had killed her mother around April 29, and that the death was confirmed by the victim’s aunt. The victim also told U.S. authorities that Tren de Aragua had called her “Josmar’s daughter,” a reference to Zambrano Chirinos, and that the Louisiana special agent said the title indicates the woman is “his property.”
According to a CNN report, Baton Rouge police received a 911 call on April 26 from a woman who said she was being forced to perform sex acts for money. Officers responded by searching a Baton Rouge apartment, where they found sex toys, more than $1,000 in cash, and a ledger listing amounts the victim allegedly owed.
According to an affidavit for the operation reviewed by CNN, a Venezuelan national named Albert Herrera Machado was also arrested the same day. Machado, who claimed to have recently arrived in Baton Rouge, reportedly said his “job” involved finding clients through messaging and setting up sexual encounters with two victims, as well as “hiding” the other when one woman was “busy” so that no one would know there were other people in the apartment.
Machado is Reportedly He is scheduled to appear in Middle District Court in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Thursday.
CNN reported that Homeland Security agents believe there are other caches across the eastern US, based on evidence gained through the arrest of the Venezuelan man.
Chilean news channel “Meganoticias” report In late April, it was reported that one of Chile’s Tren de Aragua sex trafficking rings had infiltrated the Chilean National Police and received direct information and cooperation from two members of the Chilean Investigative Police.
Chile’s Tren de Aragua sex trafficking ring was dismantled after a lengthy investigation that began in late 2022 following the arrest of a 17-year-old Venezuelan girl who accused the Tren de Aragua ring of sexual exploitation.
Last week, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Announced Police said they plan to include Torren de Aragua in their gang-related arrest report.
Christian K. Caruso is a Venezuelan author documenting life under socialism. You can follow him on Twitter. here.
