Facing Organized Crime: Chile’s Battle Against Transnational Violence

Chile has witnessed an increase in violent crimes in recent years, largely due to the presence of international organized crime gangs entering the country. Groups such as the Tren de Aragua from Venezuela, Los Trinitarios from New York, and Los Pulpos from Peru have contributed to this rise in criminal activity. Between 2014 and 2023, homicides increased by 60%, rapes by 46%, and robberies with violence or intimidation by 11%, according to data from the Center for Crime Studies and Analysis.

In response to this challenge, Chile is preparing for a mega-trial against 38 members of the Galician criminal gang, a subsidiary of the Tren de Aragua, for various crimes including homicide, kidnapping, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, extortion, arms and drug trafficking. This trial is considered one of the most complex criminal processes in recent years in Chile due to the high level of danger posed by those involved.

Pia Greene, a researcher at the Center for Studies in Public Security and Organized Crime at San Sebastián University discussed the challenges of combating transnational crime in Chile. She highlighted that criminal activities in Chile are shifting towards more violent crimes against individuals. While progress has been made addressing organized crime in Chile there is a need for better intelligence coordination and prison reform along with comprehensive policies to tackle root causes of crime.

Greene emphasized that improved coordination between law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and judges is crucial to effectively combat organized crime. However she cautioned against militarizing crime as a solution stating potential risks associated with such measures. Ultimately Greene stressed that a holistic approach addressing crime encompassing intelligence effective law enforcement and social policies must be adopted if we want to prevent criminal behavior in Chile