Tren de Aragua
| Founded | 2014; 11 years ago |
|---|---|
| Founding location | Aragua, Venezuela |
| Years active | 2014−present |
| Territory | |
| Ethnicity | Venezuelan |
| Membership | 7,000+ |
| Leader(s) | Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores "Niño Guerrero" |
| Activities | Murder, protection racketeering, drug-trafficking, human-trafficking, forced prostitution, sex trafficking, rape, human smuggling, kidnappings-for-ransom, retail theft, robbery, illegal mining, bribery, and money laundering |
| Allies | Primeiro Comando da Capital La Empresa La Linea Los Tiguerones (from November 2023) Los Lobos Government of Venezuela (alleged, denied by Venezuela) Cartel of the Suns (alleged) |
| Rivals | Clan del Golfo FARC dissidents ELN Los Tiguerones (until November 2023) Latin Kings |
Tren de Aragua (Spanish pronunciation: [tɾen de aˈɾaɣwa]; English: Aragua Train) is a transnational criminal organization from Venezuela. Tren de Aragua is led by Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias "Niño Guerrero"; he was incarcerated in Tocorón prison (also known as Aragua Penitentiary Center), which functioned at the time as the organization's de facto headquarters. The gang has expanded throughout Latin America and the United States with the mass migration of Venezuelans fleeing the regime of President Nicolás Maduro. Combating the gang has become a priority for many nations where Tren de Aragua operates. Though Tocorón prison was taken over by Venezuelan security forces in 2023, the leadership escaped.
On 20 January 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order initiating the process of designating various drug cartels and transnational gangs, including Tren de Aragua, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. The designation took effect on 20 February 2025. In March 2025, the Trump administration ordered the deportation of alleged Tren de Aragua members, citing the Alien Enemies Act of 1798. The order was temporarily halted pending further legal challenges.