Colombian authorities have successfully captured one of the founders of the notorious transnational crime group Tren de Aragua. Larry Amaury Álvarez Núñez, also known as “Larry Changa”, was apprehended in a rural area in Quindío province. He is wanted in Venezuela and Chile on charges including terrorism, arms trafficking, extortion, and kidnapping.
The Tren de Aragua, which Changa helped establish, has expanded its criminal activities from Venezuela to countries as distant as Chile and the United States. This syndicate evolved from a prison gang at Tocorón jail in Venezuela, where Changa and co-founder Héctor Guerrero Flores were serving time for murder. Changa’s leadership catapulted the group into an international crime network, with operations reaching as far as Chile for money laundering.
Police tracked Changa to Colombia, underscoring the transnational reach of these criminal organizations. While authorities have not disclosed the details of his capture, they are determined to hold criminal leaders accountable for their actions. The arrest of Larry Changa offers hope for locating other fugitive co-founders like Guerrero Flores, demonstrating a united effort across Latin America to combat organized crime.