UNITED STATES EXTRADITES TO CHILE ONE OF ITS MOST WANTED FUGITIVES - AN ALLEGED TREN DE ARAGUA LEADER CHARGED IN CHILE WITH CRIMINAL ASSOCIATION, EXTORTION, AND KIDNAPPING RESULTING IN HOMICIDE

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28 -- The U.S. Department of Justice's Criminal Division issued the following news release:

Venezuelan national and illegal alien Rafael Enrique Gamez Salas, 40, has been extradited from the United States to Chile, at the request of the Government of Chile, so that he may be prosecuted on seven charges stemming from his alleged role as a leader of "Los Piratas," the primary Chilean cell of the Venezuelan transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua (TdA).

Chile accuses Gamez Salas, who was surrendered to Chilean authorities on Thursday, of directing multiple extortions and kidnappings on behalf of TdA, one of which resulted in the highly publicized murder of a former Venezuelan military officer. This extradition bri...