SPANISH police have arrested another hitman linked to the notoriously deadly Latin American gang Tren de Aragua.
The suspect, a Venezuelan national, was picked up following an Interpol Red Notice for his alleged role in a 2020 murder in Peru.
The suspect, who is now awaiting extradition, is accused of killing a rival gang member in order to control a forced prostitution racket in Lima.
Tren de Aragua, originating in Venezuela, has gained notoriety for its involvement in murder, extortion, arms and drug trafficking, and human smuggling across Latin America and beyond.
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The gang’s rise is tied to the mass migration of Venezuelans fleeing Nicolas Maduro’s regime, with over 7.7 million displaced according to UNHCR figures from 2023.
It first expanded into the United States, where it emerged in the early 2020s amid border crossings, and was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organisation by the US in February 2025.
The gang’s modus operandi is to move into a new country and muscle local criminal groups out of criminal markets – a tactic that has been confirmed by police in countries hardest hit by its activities.
In Spain, the arrest reflects growing concern over the gang’s presence and how far its tentacles already extend. It has prompted the Spanish authorities to create a dedicated police task force.
This unit collaborates internationally with other specialist groups, including with Peru’s GRECCO, to combat such threats.
Tren de Aragua’s reputation for ultra violence and terror has stigmatised migrnats from Venezuela as a whole, despite some studies, such as a 2022 Brookings report, suggesting they commit fewer crimes than locals in parts of Latin America.
The arrest follows on from a swoop on a violent gang from El Salvador last April that had also expanded into Spain.
Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, took a major hit when the Policia Nacional arrested 27 of its members who were looking to buy weapons and had already done a deal to carry out an assassination.
Donald Trump’s administration had also branded the group in February as a foreign terrorist organisation and the FBI provided support to Spanish authorities in their operation. 18 of the detentions were in the Madrid area.
All of those arrested were aged between 20 and 30, with five Spanish nationals- including a woman- on the list.
The rest came from Central and South America including 10 from El Salvador.
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Nine of the detainees have been jailed with multiple charges laid down against them including homicide, causing injury, robbery with violence and crimes against public health.
Two MS-13 groups operated out of Madrid and Barcelona, with contacts in other parts of Spain and in Europe.
The Policia Nacional said that the high level probe started nearly two years ago and involved over 200 officers.
The aim was to stop the group from getting stronger.
Policia Nacional commissioner, Vicente Martinez, said: “The Mara Salvatrucha is a very violent phenomenon that destabilises national security.”
He emphasised that the arrests made it possible to nip the group in the bud as it was still in a ‘primitive’ stage.
The Madrid branch trafficked drugs in small amounts and held meetings to recruit new members and had contacts in the US and Central America.
He added that their drug trade was really about getting money keep going while their real aim was all ‘about violence’
Martinez said they intercepted a video call in February 2024 which outlined expansion plans in Madrid and Barcelona with orders on how to go about it.
This included organisational advice and how to punish people who did not fall into line.
The commissioner revealed that the force moved in on the suspects in late March before their planned assassination could be executed.
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