According to Chile’s Prosecutor’s Office, alias “El Fresa” acted as the vehicle logistics coordinator by securing and providing the cars used in the crime, which has been attributed to the Tren de Aragua gang. Photo: Social Media.
Guacamaya, October 2, 2025. Five alleged members of the Venezuelan-origin criminal megagang Tren de Aragua were extradited from the United States to Chile as part of an international cooperation operation. Among those handed over is Edgar Javier Benítez Rubio, alias “El Fresa,” accused of involvement in the kidnapping and murder of exiled Venezuelan dissident and former military officer Ronald Ojeda in February 2024.
Alongside Benítez, four other Venezuelans were transferred: Jesús Alberto Golding Escalona, Yhonaiker Gabriel Sequera Olivero, Miguel Eduardo Oyola Jiménez, and Gregoris José Cortez Fernández. All have been requested by Chile’s Prosecutor’s Office for their alleged roles in various branches of Tren de Aragua operating within the southern nation.
The individuals have already been taken to different facilities of Chile’s Investigative Police (PDI), and were scheduled to be presented this Wednesday before the courts that had issued warrants for their appearance. The extraditions were carried out under a strategy of international collaboration against organized crime, led by Chilean institutions and supported by Interpol.
Edgar Benítez Rubio was arrested in Indiana, United States, and faces formal charges in Chile for criminal association, kidnapping, homicide, and possession of stolen property—all linked to the murder of Ronald Ojeda. Ojeda, a former lieutenant in the Venezuelan army and outspoken critic of Nicolás Maduro’s government, was kidnapped in Santiago and found dead ten days later.
Chile’s Prosecutor’s Office has connected Ojeda’s murder to the Venezuelan megagang Tren de Aragua, while also raising suspicions about the possible involvement or cover-up by Venezuelan government officials. The case has heightened diplomatic tensions between the two countries, with the Venezuelan government rejecting the accusations.
So far, Maduro’s administration has not issued any statements regarding the extradition of the five Venezuelans—a development that marks a significant moment in international judicial cooperation. The case reignites debate over how migratory dynamics can be exploited by illicit networks, and the complex challenges surrounding the safety of exiled communities.
