Chile Arrests 18 in $88M Crypto Laundering Ring Linked to Tren de Aragua

Chilean authorities have dismantled a major money laundering operation tied to the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua, arresting 18 individuals and freezing over 140 bank accounts. The investigation, active since 2024, uncovered a scheme that used cryptocurrency remittances, irregular companies, and multiple bank accounts to launder an estimated $88 million from illicit activities such as drug trafficking, extortion, prostitution, and kidnappings.

The operation, carried out on Tuesday by the Chilean police and the Southern Prosecutor’s Office, spanned three regions of the country. Authorities identified a complex network designed to move funds out of Chile, with cryptocurrency companies playing a key role in transferring money to other countries.

Key Figure Behind the Scheme

A central figure in the operation was Juan Carlos Pérez Asencio, a Venezuelan national who worked as a recovery executive at Banco Santander since 2019. According to local reports, Pérez Asencio opened several bank accounts for the group, allowing it to execute large transactions without raising immediate suspicion. These accounts were used to process funds from criminal activities, and the group reportedly laundered over $88 million in total.

Héctor Barros, the prosecutor in charge of the case, described it as “one of the largest 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 raids, authorities seized $300,000 in cash and froze over 140 bank accounts.

Previous Operations and Broader Context

This action follows a similar operation in July, when Chilean authorities disrupted another group called “Tren del Mar.” In that case, 52 individuals were arrested for using bank accounts and cryptocurrency to launder an estimated $13.5 million. The funds were moved to Venezuela, Colombia, the United States, Paraguay, Mexico, Spain, and Argentina.

Tren de Aragua, an international criminal group with Venezuelan origins, has been under increased scrutiny. The U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the group in 2024, stating that it “infiltrated local criminal economies in South America, established transnational financial operations, laundered funds through cryptocurrency, and formed 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 hitting their assets rather than just their operations.

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