The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control recently designated Tren de Aragua, a Venezuela-based transnational criminal organization that has migrants and other vulnerable populations in human smuggling and trafficking, kidnapping, extortion, and gender-based violence. According to OFAC, Tren de Aragua is expanding its reach, and engaging in money laundering and illicit drug trafficking. The group has allegedly infiltrated local criminal economies in South America and formed ties with Brazil-based Primeiro Comando da Capital, an organized crime group that was previously-sanctioned by the United States.
Tren de Aragua was sanctioned pursuant to Executive Order 13581, as amended by EO 13863, for being a foreign person that constitutes a significant transnational criminal organization. As a result of this designation, all property and interests in property of this group within the United States or within the possession or control of a U.S. person are blocked, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions involving a designated person. In addition, entities owned 50 percent or more by one or more designated persons are also blocked, unless they are exempt or transactions are authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC.