Page 3 - aruba-today-20240712

A3
U.S. NEWS Friday 12 July 2024
U.S. sanctions a Venezuela gang for spreading criminal activity

across Latin America

By JOSHUA GOODMAN on the gang's expansion.
Associated Press "It has now become a fran-
MIAMI (AP) — The Biden chise name for Venezuelan
administration on Thursday criminal structures operat-
sanctioned a Venezuelan ing in the region, with weak-
gang allegedly behind a ening coherence now that
spree of kidnappings, ex- its home prison base is no
tortion and other violent more," McDermott said,
crimes tied to migrants that The group is led by Hector
have spread across Latin Guerrero, who was jailed
America and the United years ago for killing a po-
States. lice officer, according to
The U.S. also offered a $12 InSight Crime. Guerrero,
million reward for the arrest better known by his alias
of three leaders of Tren de El Nino, or Spanish for the
Aragua, which now joins "boy," later escaped and
the MS-13 gang from El Sal- then was recaptured in
vador and the Mafia-styled 2013, returning to the prison
Camorra from Italy on a list in Aragua where the crimi-
of transnational criminal or- nal enterprise was then
ganizations banned from headquartered.
doing business in the U.S. He fled prison again more
"Tren de Aragua poses recently, as Venezuelan
a deadly criminal threat Soldiers raid the Tocorón Penitentiary Center, in Tocorón, Venezuela, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023. authorities tried to reassert
across the region," the U.S. The Tren de Aragua gang originated at the prison. Associated Press control over its prison popu-
Treasury Department said lation.
in a statement, adding that as millions of desperate smuggling of contraband sanctioned by the U.S. His current whereabouts
it often preys on vulnerable Venezuelans fled President goods to and from Venezu- Earlier this year, prosecutors are unknown but the U.S.
populations such as mi- Nicolás Maduro's rule and ela. in Chile blamed the gang, State Department, which
grant women and girls for migrated to other parts of But as the Venezuelan di- whose name means "train" has offered up to $12 mil-
sex trafficking. Latin America or the U.S. aspora has settled more in Spanish, for the killing of lion for his arrest and that
"When victims seek to es- Authorities in countries permanently abroad, it has a Venezuelan army official of two other gang leaders,
cape this exploitation, Tren such as Colombia, Peru joined — and sometimes who had sought refuge in said it believes Guerrero
de Aragua members often and Ecuador — with large clashed — with home- that country after partak- and Giovanny San Vicen-
kill them and publicize their populations of Venezuelan grown criminal syndicates ing in a failed plot to over- te, another target of the
deaths as a threat to oth- migrants — have accused engaged in drug traffick- throw Maduro. U.S. bounty, are believed to
ers," the statement added. the group of being behind ing, extortion of local busi- "The Tren de Aragua is be living in Colombia.
The Tren de Aragua traces a spree of violent crimes in nesses and murders for hire. not a vertically integrat- Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida
its origins to more than a de- a region that has long had Among the groups the ed criminal structure, but Republican who co-chairs
cade ago, to an infamously some of the highest murder Treasury Department said rather a federation of dif- the Senate Select Com-
lawless prison in the central rates in the world. the gang has teamed up ferent gangs," said Jeremy mittee on Intelligence,
state of Aragua where a Initially its focus was exploit- with is Primeiro Comando McDermott, the Colom- has warned that if left un-
number of hardened crimi- ing Venezuelan migrants da Capital, a notorious or- bia-based co-director of checked, the Tren de Ara-
nals were held. But it has through loan sharking, hu- ganized crime group out InSight Crime, which this gua could also start terror-
expanded in recent years man trafficking and the of Brazil that has also been month published a report izing American cities.q

New York’s top court allows ‘equal

rights’ amendment to appear on

November ballot

By ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE Democrats are hoping the passing the amendment.
Associated Press ballot question will drive turn- The state's Constitution cur-
A proposed amendment to out in their favor this fall as rently bans discrimination
New York's constitution to bar the party frames the "equal based on race, color, creed
discrimination over "gender rights" amendment as a way or religion. The proposed
identity" and "pregnancy to protect abortion rights. amendment would add eth- The New York Capitol is seen, June 30, 2022, in Albany, N.Y.
outcomes" will appear on Republicans also have be- nicity, national origin, age, Associated Press
the ballot this November, gun to strategize around the disability, sex, sexual orien-
the state's high court ruled proposed amendment, mov- tation, gender identity, gen- sidered very safe. Instead, key House races in New York
Thursday. ing to animate voters against der expression, pregnancy, the proposed amendment on abortion access, warn-
The decision from the Court the protections it might offer pregnancy outcomes and would stop a person from be- ing voters that Republicans
of Appeals affirms a lower to transgender people. reproductive health care ing discriminated against for would try to curtail access to
court ruling from June, dis- A Republican state law- and autonomy. having an abortion. the procedure and betting
missing an appeal "upon the maker had sued to block the It would not explicitly pro- The ballot question has been that Democrats would cast
ground that no substantial ballot question, arguing that tect abortion rights in New a crucial part of Democrats' ballots to protect abortion
constitutional question is di- Democrats in the Legislature York, where access to the election strategy in New York. rights after the overturning
rectly involved." made a technical error when procedure is already con- The party has tried to center of Roe v. Wade. q