Ex-Venezuelan Officer: Tren de Aragua Is Maduro’s Weapon in Global Hybrid Warfare

A former Venezuelan military officer is challenging U.S. intelligence claims that the notorious Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang operates independently of Venezuela’s Maduro regime. Jose Arocha, a former lieutenant colonel, argues that the socialist government uses TdA as a tool of asymmetric warfare to destabilize the United States and other Western nations.

TdA, a violent Venezuelan gang, has wreaked havoc in U.S. cities, linked to crimes like the tragic murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley and the takeover of an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado. President Donald Trump recently designated TdA a foreign terrorist organization, signaling a tough stance against the gang’s growing threat.

Arocha, speaking via Zoom, emphasized that TdA’s operations reflect a deliberate strategy by Maduro’s regime. "They don’t send soldiers; they send criminals," he said, describing TdA as a plug-and-play insurgency born in Venezuela’s prisons and deployed globally. He disputes a U.S. intelligence memo claiming no direct ties between Maduro and TdA, arguing it overlooks the regime’s deep-seated hostility toward the U.S. and its hybrid warfare tactics.

Venezuelan prisons like Tocorón, where TdA originated, are less correctional facilities and more like criminal palaces, complete with nightclubs and zoos, Arocha noted. A 2023 raid on Tocorón, touted as a crackdown, was likely staged, with gang leaders escaping through pre-built tunnels. This, he argues, points to complicity at the highest levels of Maduro’s government.

Further evidence lies in cases like the politically motivated murder of Venezuelan dissident Ronald Ojeda in Chile, which authorities suspect was a TdA operation ordered by Caracas. Arocha also highlighted ties between former Maduro confidant Tareck El Aissami and groups like Hezbollah, underscoring Venezuela’s role as a proxy for adversarial powers like Russia, China, and Iran.

Arocha urges the Trump administration to collaborate with Latin American nations like Chile, which have direct experience with TdA, to uncover the full scope of this threat. "The real link is in Caracas," he insists, calling for a broader lens to combat this global criminal network.