Chilean authorities have dismantled a major money laundering operation linked to the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua, arresting 18 people and freezing more than 140 bank accounts. The investigation, active since 2024, revealed a scheme using cryptocurrency fund transfers, irregular companies and multiple bank accounts to launder approximately $88 million from illicit activities such as drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution and kidnapping.
The operation, carried out on Tuesday by the Chilean police and the southern prosecutor’s office, extended to three regions of the country. Authorities have identified a complex network designed to move funds out of Chile, with cryptocurrency companies playing a key role in moving money to other countries.
Key figure behind the project
One of the central figures in the operation was Juan Carlos Pérez Asencio, a Venezuelan national who had worked as a turnaround manager at Banco Santander since 2019. According to local reports, Pérez Asencio opened several bank accounts for the group, allowing him to execute large transactions without arousing immediate suspicion. These accounts were used to process funds derived from criminal activity, and the group allegedly laundered more than $88 million in total.
Héctor Barros, the prosecutor in charge of the case, described it as “one of the biggest money laundering cases we have seen in our country, linked to the Tren de Aragua.” He added that the funds “left our country via cryptocurrency companies, heading to other countries.” During the searches, authorities seized $300,000 in cash and froze more than 140 bank accounts.
Previous operations and wider context
This action follows a similar operation in July, when Chilean authorities disrupted another group called “Tren del Mar.” In this case, 52 people were arrested for using bank accounts and cryptocurrencies to launder an estimated amount of $13.5 million. The funds were transferred to Venezuela, Colombia, the United States, Paraguay, Mexico, Spain and Argentina.
Tren de Aragua, an international criminal group of Venezuelan origin, is under increased surveillance. The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the group in 2024, saying it “infiltrated local criminal economies in South America, established transnational financial operations, laundered funds through cryptocurrency, and established ties with the U.S.-sanctioned Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC).”
The latest crackdown marks a significant step in targeting the financial infrastructure of these criminal networks, perhaps signaling a shift toward their assets rather than just their operations.
