Venezuela' Says Tren de Aragua Was Used By U.S. Agencies To 'Destabilize' The Country

Venezuela's authoritarian government accused the United States of using Tren de Aragua, a gang born in the country and recently designated as a terrorist organization by the Trump administration, to destabilize the South American country.

Responding to the designation, the government said Tren de Aragua has been "dismantled" there thanks to the "firm and sustained action by security bodies and the Venezuelan judiciary."

The release goes on to say the group was "at the time, used as an instrument by foreign agencies such as the FBI and the DEA with terrorist and destabilizing purposes against Venezuela's institutions."

"These actors, seeking to attack peace and democratic institutions, resorted to the manipulation of these criminal structures with political purposes, exposing the population to criminal actions that were met and eradicated by the Venezuelan, state," the release added.

The Trump administration deported this week close to 200 Venezuelans from Guantanamo Bay, many of which it said have ties with Tren de Aragua.

Of the deportees, 126 people had criminal charges or convictions— including 80 allegedly affiliated with Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua— a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said. They added that 51 had no criminal record.

However, Maduro's government disagreed with those claims, saying the group that arrived this week "are not criminals, they are not bad people, they were people who emigrated as a result of [US] sanctions... in Venezuela we welcome them as a productive force, with a loving embrace."

The designation as foreign terrorist organization enables the U.S. government to impose financial sanctions, block bank accounts, deport members, bar their entry into the country, and even conduct security or military operations against these groups.