Mexican authorities say they arrested an alleged local leader of Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang

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MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s Security Ministry said Saturday that it arrested an alleged local leader of the Tren de Aragua gang in Mexico City.

Officials identified the suspect as Nelson Arturo “N,” 29, described as the leader and main operator of the transnational criminal group in the country. Authorities said that he was wanted on multiple charges, but in keeping with Mexican law don't release suspects' last names.

Tren de Aragua originated in Venezuela more than a decade ago at an infamously lawless prison with hardened criminals in the central state of Aragua. The gang has expanded in recent years as more than 7.7 million Venezuelans fled economic turmoil and migrated to other Latin American countries or the U.S.

The Trump administration declared the group a terrorist organization. U.S. officials have consistently blamed the gang for being at the root of the violence and illicit drug dealing that plague some U.S. cities.

Trump has repeated his claim — contradicted by a declassified U.S. intelligence assessment — that Tren de Aragua is operating under Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s control.

The size of the gang is unclear. Countries with large populations of Venezuelan migrants, including Peru and Colombia, have accused the group of being behind violence in the region. On Friday, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that he ordered another strike on a small boat that he accused of carrying drugs in the waters off Venezuela, expanding what the Trump administration has declared is an “armed conflict” with cartels.

So far, at least three of the strikes have been carried out on vessels that U.S. officials said had originated from Venezuela. The strikes followed a buildup of U.S. maritime forces in the Caribbean unlike any seen in recent times.

In a post about the first strike last month, Trump claimed that the vessel was carrying members of the Tren de Aragua gang.

Security agents carried out intelligence work and identified the suspect, who they accused of crimes including human trafficking, drug dealing, homicide, kidnapping and extortion.

Along with the gang leader, two other men, ages 36 and 37, were arrested. Authorities said that they were found with more than 100 doses of drugs, two cellphones and cash.

After the arrests, they were placed under the jurisdiction of the Attorney General’s Office to determine their legal status.

On Wednesday, five alleged members of the gang were extradited from the United States to Chile, including one linked to the killing of a former Venezuelan soldier last year.

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Gabriela Molina in Quito, Ecuador, and Gabriela Sá Pessoa in Sao Paulo, contributed to this report.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america