Tren de Aragua grew inside Tocorón prison, exploiting corruption and weak oversight to build a gang that reportedly earned about $3.5 million annually. After leader Héctor "Niño" Guerrero escaped custody, the group expanded across Venezuela and carried out violent takeover attempts in Aurora, Colorado. U.S. authorities have since pursued indictments, arrests, FBI listings and Treasury sanctions; local enforcement has reduced activity, but the group remains a transnational threat.
How Tren de Aragua Rose From Tocorón Prison and Spread Violence to Aurora, Colorado
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro addresses supporters during a rally marking the anniversary of the 19th-century Battle of Santa Ines in Caracas, Venezuela, on Dec. 10, 2025.
A sprawling prison in the Venezuelan town of Tocorón became the incubator for Tren de Aragua, a violent transnational criminal organization whose expansion and leader's escape have been linked to a wave of crimes in the United States, including high-profile incidents in Aurora, Colorado.
Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, aka "Niño Guerrero," is the notorious head of Tren de Aragua.
From Tocorón Prison To A Transnational Gang
Tocorón prison, once notorious for lax oversight and lavish inmate amenities, reportedly operated largely under inmate control for years. According to The Associated Press, kidnappings, extortion rings and violent plots were planned from inside the facility.
Members of special forces of the Bolivarian National Police wait in a convoy at the checkpoint in the Aragua jail as Venezuela's government announced it has completed the first phase of its plan to take back control of its prison system, in Tocoron, Venezuela, on Sept. 23, 2023.
After Nicolás Maduro’s 2013 presidential victory, Héctor "Niño" Guerrero returned to Tocorón to serve sentences for multiple convictions, including the murder of a police officer. Exploiting corruption and weak institutional controls inside the jail, Guerrero expanded his network into what became known as Tren de Aragua. U.S. authorities later designated the group a foreign terrorist organization.
The Aragua jail is pictured as Venezuela's government announced it has completed the first phase of its plan to take back control of its prison system, in Tocoron, Venezuela September 23, 2023.
How The Gang Grew
Reports indicate the gang collected weekly dues from inmates and profited from crimes outside the prison, generating an estimated $3.5 million a year. By 2023, the Venezuelan Observatory of Violence estimated Tren de Aragua had over 4,000 members and a presence in 11 of Venezuela’s 23 states.
A destroyed gate is pictured in the Aragua jail as Venezuela's government announced it has completed the first phase of its plan to take back control of its prison system, in Tocoron, Venezuela, on Sept. 23, 2023.
David Pyrooz, sociology professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, told Fox News Digital that economic collapse and weak state control can foster gang formation inside prisons and then spill into communities: "What happens in prison influences what happens on the street, and what happens on the street influences what happens in prisons."
Escape, Military Raid, And Cross-Border Spread
In 2023, roughly 11,000 Venezuelan troops reportedly stormed Tocorón to reassert state control. By that point, however, Guerrero and several associates had already escaped custody — an event critics say points to internal corruption or breakdowns in oversight. After the escape, Tren de Aragua-related crimes surged in other countries, including the U.S.
CBZ Management shared this photo on X, allegedly picturing one of their employees after he refused to take a bribe from gang members in one of the company's Aurora complexes.
Aurora, Colorado: A Flashpoint
In 2023–2024, Tren de Aragua members allegedly seized multiple apartment complexes in Aurora. Surveillance footage from The Edge at Lowry showed armed men pacing halls; other video captured a building representative being assaulted after refusing to accept a bribe at the Whispering Pines complex. The management company said the victim later received online threats tied to the gang.
An excavator destroys infrastructure built by inmates in the Aragua jail as Venezuela's government announced it has completed the first phase of its plan to take back control of its prison system, in Tocoron, Venezuela, on Sept. 23, 2023.
Local authorities described cases of extortion, apartment takeovers, and violent intimidation targeting Venezuelan immigrants. A judge ordered one complex temporarily closed for public safety, and city officials helped roughly 85 families relocate.
U.S. Law Enforcement Response
U.S. agencies have pursued multiple enforcement actions. In 2025, federal indictments and arrests were announced: two alleged Tren de Aragua leaders were indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with crimes in Colorado on RICO and other charges, and the Southern District of New York unsealed charges against Héctor Guerrero, who remains at large. The FBI added alleged leaders to its Most Wanted list, and the Treasury imposed sanctions on key figures.
Current Status And Expert View
Local experts and officials say enforcement efforts in Colorado have significantly reduced Tren de Aragua’s visible activity by 2025, though the organization remains a transnational concern. Pyrooz and other analysts emphasize that effective prison governance and early interventions are crucial to preventing similar groups from forming and spreading across borders.
Sources: Reporting from Fox News Digital, The Associated Press, Venezuelan Observatory of Violence, public statements from U.S. law enforcement and local Aurora officials.
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