Spain dismantles first Venezuelan crime gang cell in Europe – 13 arrested and synthetic drug labs seized

Spanish police (Policía Nacional) have dismantled the first entrenched cell of Venezuela’s feared Tren de Aragua gang in Spain, arresting 13 people across five cities and shutting down two drug laboratories. The operation, called Interciti, marks the most significant blow yet against the South American criminal organisation on European soil.

Scroll down to view the police’s official video of the raid.

Major arrests across Spain

Spain’s National Police confirmed that 13 suspects were detained in coordinated raids across Barcelona, Madrid, Girona, A Coruña, and Valencia. The arrests were carried out as part of the second phase of Operación Interciti, following months of investigation and earlier arrests of the brother of gang leader “Niño Guerrero” in Barcelona and “Mamera,” a faction boss, in Madrid this summer.

Authorities said the group had established itself in Spain to run synthetic drug operations, including two laboratories producing “tusi” (also known as pink cocaine). Officers also dismantled a cannabis grow, seized quantities of cocaine and synthetic drugs, and arrested four individuals now remanded in custody.

View the raid in action here: 

The operation was supported by Colombian authorities and coordinated under the Ameripol–ELPACCTO framework, an EU–Latin America policing partnership designed to combat transnational organised crime.

A transnational gang with European roots

The Tren de Aragua – originating from Venezuela’s notorious Tocorón prison – has grown into a multi-crime network spanning several Latin American countries. Its activities include extortion, human trafficking, and drug distribution, often exploiting migration routes to establish new cells abroad.

According to InSight Crime, the group has operated in Chile, Peru, Colombia and Mexico, using a franchise-like model that adapts to local criminal markets. The Spanish cell, police say, was likely focused on drug production and nightlife distribution, marking the gang’s first confirmed operational base in Europe.

A growing network of crime organisations and their dismantling

For Spanish communities, the case signals a growing intersection between Latin American organised crime and European drug networks. Experts warn that Tren de Aragua’s flexible structure allows it to infiltrate local economies through drug trade and extortion rackets, posing risks to vulnerable migrant groups and nightlife sectors.

Spain’s Interior Ministry praised the operation as a “preventive dismantling” before the gang could fully consolidate in Europe. The collaboration between Spanish and Latin American authorities is seen as a model for future security cooperation.

What happens now?

Residents are advised to stay cautious of online job offers or housing schemes that appear suspicious – common methods used by criminal networks to exploit newcomers.

Investigations continue as authorities trace financial links and potential accomplices tied to Tren de Aragua’s operations in Spain and other EU countries. Europol and Ameripol are expected to strengthen data-sharing and surveillance systems following the success of Operación Interciti.

Officials stress that this case is only the beginning of broader efforts to prevent transnational gangs from gaining a foothold in Europe.