Ecuador deports Venezuelan citizen linked to Tren de Aragua gang

Ecuador's Ministry of the Interior announced the immediate deportation of a Venezuelan national identified as V. Contreras, allegedly a member of the Tren de Aragua criminal organization. The expulsion took place in Tulcán, a key border city with Colombia, during a special operation by migration authorities and the National Police.

Contreras faces an administrative sanction prohibiting his re-entry into Ecuador for ten years. Migration reports link him to illicit recruitment, irregular transport via clandestine networks, and systematic fraud against transit migrants. Additionally, two Ecuadorian citizens were fined $1,446 each for facilitating border evasion.

The Tren de Aragua is designated a "terrorist" organization by President Daniel Noboa's administration. This designation is part of the "internal armed conflict" declared in 2024 to combat organized crime. The group, originating in Venezuela, has expanded across the Americas since 2018, engaging in homicides, extortion, kidnapping, smuggling, and human trafficking.