The leader of a dangerous Venezuelan criminal organization known as “El Turko” has been apprehended in Los Angeles, following a request from the Chilean government. Rafael Enrique Gamez Salas, 40, is believed to be the mastermind behind “Los Piratas,” the Chilean faction of the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua (TdA). His arrest was carried out on Wednesday, and he will now face extradition to Chile to stand trial on seven serious criminal charges.
According to the US Department of Justice, Salas is facing charges including criminal association, extortion, firearm discharge, and kidnapping resulting in homicide. These charges stem from various criminal activities and victims linked to his involvement with TdA. One of the incidents he is accused of orchestrating is the kidnapping and murder of a Venezuelan military Lieutenant in Santiago, Chile in February 2024.
Reports indicate that Salas directed the abduction, with members of Los Piratas posing as Chilean police officers to forcibly remove the Lieutenant from his residence. Tragically, the Lieutenant’s body was discovered a week later, buried in concrete and covered in lime. Intercepted communications suggest that Salas received orders from higher-ups to carry out the kidnapping and murder.
In addition to this heinous crime, the Chilean government alleges that Salas was also involved in a violent confrontation in April 2024 that resulted in the death of a Chilean police officer, as well as other kidnappings in February and June of the same year. Salas has a history of criminal activity, having been previously convicted in the United States for human smuggling and illegal reentry after deportation.
Authorities in Chile claim that Salas, who also goes by the alias “Adrian Rafael Gamez Finol,” was involved in planning numerous kidnappings, extortions, and homicides. Despite being deported to Venezuela from the US in 2023 for illegal entry, Salas managed to reenter the country unlawfully. He was arrested and charged with human smuggling by the Val Verde County District Attorney’s Office in Texas, leading to an indictment in February 2025.
Salas pleaded guilty to the charges in April 2025 and was serving his sentence in Central California when he was arrested on an extradition warrant. The US Marshals Service took him into custody, and he appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles F. Eick in Los Angeles before being returned to federal custody. The Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche emphasized the importance of collaboration with international partners to ensure that individuals like Salas face justice for their crimes.
The arrest of Rafael Enrique Gamez Salas underscores the ongoing cooperation between the United States and foreign authorities in combating transnational crime and dismantling terrorist organizations like Tren de Aragua. The US Justice Department, along with its international partners, remains committed to holding accountable those who engage in violent criminal acts.
