Venezuelan Gang Member Arrested for Selling Cocaine in Chicago
Chicago police have arrested a member of the feared Venezuelan criminal gang El Tren de Aragua for selling cocaine to undercover officers. 27-year-old Edwin Camejo was taken into custody at his home in Back of the Yards on Monday, December 11.
According to prosecutors, Camejo sold cocaine to undercover agents on three separate occasions before his arrest. In addition, police found a bag containing $487 worth of suspected crack cocaine in his possession when they detained him.
Authorities described Camejo as a member of the Venezuelan El Tren de Aragua gang, although it is not clear how they reached that conclusion. Despite the serious charges, Camejo was released by Judge William Fahy the following day.
The Tren de Aragua gang is believed to be Venezuela’s largest criminal organization and was recently found to be operating out of a Venezuelan prison, complete with restaurants, bars, and outdoor pools. Venezuelan authorities claimed to have “dismantled” the gang’s prison operation in September after deploying 11,000 troops and police.
The Chicago Police Department, citing intelligence from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, had warned city police officers about the presence of Aragua Train members within the city’s migrant community in October. However, The Sun Times had previously dismissed the idea, stating there was “little evidence” of gangs among the more than 20,000 migrants who had arrived in Chicago over the past year.
Camejo’s arrest sheds light on the potential presence of international criminal organizations within the city’s migrant community and raises concerns about the influence of Venezuelan gangs in Chicago. The authorities have not stated whether there are any other El Tren de Aragua members operating in the area.
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