Spains National Police Dismantle Violent Crypto-Robbery Ring Linked to Tren de Aragua

Some of the individuals, already in police custody, were involved in similar thefts, where victims were tied, gagged, and held at gunpoint to force them to give up their and fiat money holdings, using continued violence as a tool to achieve these purposes.

The police report indicates that in one instance, as a victim resisted, a gunshot was fired, putting the victims life in jeopardy.

Agents indicated that the group first studied its targets, selecting only high-profile individuals who were put under surveillance and then coerced to meet in vacation apartments for different reasons.

The group is now facing membership in a criminal organization, violent robbery, unlawful detention, fraud, and crimes against public health charges. The imprisonment of three of its members has already been ordered.

Tren de Aragua, a criminal organization of Venezuelan origins, has been singled out for integrating cryptocurrency as part of its criminal tools, including crypto theft and crypto money laundering in its illicit activity portfolio.

The U.S. Department of State labeled Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) in February 2025. In 2024, it was sanctioned by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for laundering funds through cryptocurrency.

Also, in July, Chilean authorities disarmed the associated subgroup “Tren del Mar,” which laundered over $13.5 million, taking cues from groups like the Sinaloa Cartel.