The Crackdown
The Investigations Police (PDI) and the Metropolitan South Prosecutor's Office have delivered their most severe blow yet to the Tren de Aragua criminal organization on Chilean soil, dismantling a network that moved 78 billion pesos. Dubbed "Operation Tokyo," the result of a two-year investigation that began in the commune of Lampa, the operation culminated in the arrest of 19 individuals. They are set to be formally charged this Sunday, June 7, with money laundering, extortion, human trafficking for sexual exploitation, and smuggling.
The operation’s name pays homage to the luxury nightclub that Héctor Guerrero Flores, alias "Niño Guerrero," established inside the Tocorón prison in Venezuela before the military intervention in September 2023. According to Regional Prosecutor Héctor Barros, the dismantled cell operated under the orders of Carlos "Bobby" and included the participation of a Banco Santander executive, who facilitated the laundering of illicit profits obtained through the extortion of business owners in the Bellavista neighborhood and event producers.
The investigation, described as the strongest strike against the organization in Chile, uncovered a complex financial structure that allowed for the movement of millions through the local banking system. Prosecutor Barros emphasized that this action represents a direct attack on the gang's assets, marking a milestone in the criminal prosecution of this Venezuelan-origin organization within the country.
Violence in Lampa
In parallel to this crackdown, the commune of Lampa—the original epicenter of the investigation—became the scene of a violent discovery. On Tuesday, June 2, around 5:00 p.m., an 84-year-old garbage collector alerted the Carabineros to the presence of a body at kilometer 31 of Route 5 Norte, heading south.
Prosecutor Alfredo Cerri, of the Organized Crime and Homicide Team (ECOH), reported that the victim is an adult male, presumably Chilean, whose body was found wrapped in a white sheet with his hands and feet bound. A preliminary examination revealed that the deceased had sustained at least two gunshot wounds to the skull and was found without identification or mobile devices.
At the scene, investigators recovered a blood-stained blue jacket and at least four pieces of ballistic evidence, including two shell casings. Sub-prefect Eduardo Sánchez, of the Central North Homicide Brigade, indicated that the evidence suggests the victim was transported to the location by third parties. The investigation is being complicated by the lack of security cameras in this rural sector of the Metropolitan Region. Current efforts are focused on determining the time of death and whether the homicide occurred at the site of the discovery or at a different location.
