Jhoan José León Bello, a Venezuelan citizen, was arrested and transferred under strict surveillance to a facility of the Federal Penitentiary Service. He is accused of aggravated robbery by breaking and entering. The Argentine government declared the Tren de Aragua as a "terrorist organization" on February 25, identifying it as a serious threat to national security.
The arrest occurred after the City Police discovered a robbery in a shopping gallery on Lavalle pedestrian street, in the San Nicolás neighborhood. The police noticed that the metallic shutter of the establishment had been forced and found León Bello and other suspects hiding on the premises.
Police sources revealed that León Bello was planning to form a criminal group to rob stores and homes, acting as the leader of the Tren de Aragua in Argentina. Although from the Tocorón prison, "Niño Guerrero" was directing operations, he is currently at large.
León Bello is also suspected of participating in other crimes, such as being part of "the tourist robbers" and being involved in the murder of a British citizen in Puerto Madero in 2019. Judge Guillermo Rongo is in charge of the investigation into the robbery at the Paseo Lavalle gallery.
The gang led by León Bello had stolen a considerable amount of cell phones, a suitcase with three million pesos, and ten thousand dollars during the robbery. Two and a half months later, he is linked to the feared criminal organization Tren de Aragua, which originated in Venezuela and has expanded to different countries in the region.
The Tren de Aragua emerged in 2009 as a corrupt union in a railway project in Venezuela and became a powerful criminal organization. Argentine authorities remain vigilant to the possibility that this gang may enter the country, although there is no conclusive evidence linking León Bello to this criminal network. The transfer of the detainee to a SPF prison reinforces security measures against this potential transnational threat.
