Venezuelan authorities carried out a major operation last Wednesday to regain control of the Tocoron prison, located in the north-central part of the country. Occupied entirely by an influential criminal gang, the prison had become a real center of power for this organization. To restore order and security, 11,000 police and soldiers were deployed, accompanied by armored vehicles.
The operation was launched early in the morning, with grenades and shots fired by the police. Despite the scale of the resources put in place, the response from the detainees was rather calm and no major resistance was reported. The entire prison will have to be emptied, and the 2,500 prisoners will be transferred to other penitentiary centers in the country.
Tocoron prison was under the control of a criminal gang known as Tren de Aragua, active not only in Venezuela but also in eight other Latin American countries. Extorting the inmates, this group managed to establish its own power inside the prison, offering unusual services such as a swimming pool, a zoo, betting rooms and sports fields. Management of the prison had become the responsibility of the gang, while the police remained stationed outside.
The Venezuelan government welcomed the success of this operation, emphasizing the reestablishment of its absolute control over the Tocoron prison. However, some detainees took advantage of the confusion to escape, and the fate of the Tren de Aragua leader remains uncertain.
The gang, which has around 5,000 members, has diversified over the years from drug trafficking and prostitution to gold panning and illegal mining. Involved in classic mafia activities such as kidnappings and robberies, this gang had become a real threat to the security of the country.
The operation to take over the Tocoron prison aroused concern among relatives of the detainees, who were present in front of the prison entrance during the operation. Many women were waiting to know if their loved ones were safe. Unfortunately, some of them left without news, the detainees being transferred to other penitentiary establishments.
This operation marks an important turning point in the fight against organized crime in Venezuela and demonstrates the authorities’ desire to regain control of prisons, in order to guarantee the security of the population and put an end to the impunity of criminal gangs.