Mass trial of Tren de Aragua in Chile will expose links to political persecution
A former Venezuelan prosecutor warns that the trial for the murder of Ronald Ojeda could reveal whether organised crime was used against opponents outside the country.
Former prosecutor: the Ojeda case is "the most important for understanding Tren de Aragua"
Chilean justice sentenced Maickel Villegas Rodríguez, identified as a member of Tren de Aragua, to 20 years in prison for the kidnapping and murder of former Venezuelan lieutenant Ronald Ojeda. According to elnacional.com, it was the first sentence handed down through oral proceedings in this case. From 20 October, another 16 defendants will face a mass trial in Chile, whilst the Chilean Public Prosecutor's Office keeps the investigation open into a possible political motive.
Rolnar Sanabria, a former prosecutor against organised crime on the Colombian-Venezuelan border and author of the book Tren de Aragua: anatomy of a transnational criminal empire, said the trial would be decisive. "This is the most important case for understanding Tren de Aragua. It is not just about a homicide: it is the question of whether a criminal band was used to persecute an opponent outside Venezuela. What comes out of that trial could change the way the world sees this organisation," he stated.
Sanabria emphasised that the sentence comes at a time of mounting pressure on the organisation. "For years, Tren de Aragua acted with the certainty that no one would judge it. Today its members are being condemned in courts in several countries. That is what really weakens a criminal organisation: the sentence, not just the arrest," he said.
30-year sentence for sexual exploitation of Venezuelan teenager
Also in Chile, a 30-year prison sentence was announced against the alias Burrito, leader of a cell that sexually exploited a 16-year-old Venezuelan teenager. The young woman had arrived under false pretences with a job offer. When she tried to escape, she was shot in the feet, a punishment the band calls internally "pateo".
In response to this case, Sanabria clarified: "The first victims of Tren de Aragua are Venezuelans themselves: women and teenagers lured with promises of employment who end up exploited far from their families. That is why prosecuting this organisation is also about protecting migrants."
More than 1,200 detained, but few convictions
The United States Department of Homeland Security reported that between January 2025 and 8 October 2026, 1,296 alleged members of Tren de Aragua were detained, and around 350 have been accused of federal crimes. Sanabria cautioned that the figures should be read carefully: "The figure is important, but a detention is not a conviction. What needs to be followed is how many of those cases end in a sentence."
On 15 October, an alleged member of the organisation was captured underneath the Simón Bolívar international bridge when attempting to cross into Venezuela whilst fleeing the Metropolitan Police of Cúcuta. He was carrying a weapon, drugs and pamphlets with threats from the organisation. The authorities identify him as a debt collector for extortion in La Parada, Villa del Rosario.
"Without investigation inside Venezuela, what is dismantled outside can be rebuilt"
Sanabria, who served as prosecutor precisely in that border area, warned about the role Venezuela plays as a refuge for those being pursued: "When Colombia pursues them, they seek refuge on the other side of the border. If Venezuela continues to be the place they flee to, everything done outside falls short. Tren de Aragua was born inside a Venezuelan prison, and without serious investigation inside, what is dismantled outside can be rebuilt."
The former prosecutor concluded with a distinction he considered fundamental: "Criminals must be captured and tried. But the vast majority of Venezuelans, inside and outside the country, are honest people who deserve respect and protection."
Source: Google News VE — Crime