Venezuela: Police raid gang-run prison with pool, nightclub and zoo

Venezuela said Wednesday it had seized control of a prison from the hands of a powerful gang with international reach, in a major operation involving 11,000 members of its security forces. The Tocoron prison had served as the Tren de Aragua gang’s headquarters, where it had installed amenities such as a zoo, a pool and gambling rooms, according to an investigative journalist recently interviewed by AFP. In a statement, the government congratulated law enforcement officers for regaining “total control“ of the prison in the northern state of Aragua, adding the operation had “dismantled a center of conspiracy and crime.“ And in an official proclamation, President Nicolas Maduro praised “today’s great success in the fight against criminal organizations.“ After the government announced a complete evacuation of the jail, Interior Minister Remigio Ceballos told state broadcaster VTV that the inmates were being transferred to another facility. #venezuela #prison #police Subscribe to The Telegraph with our special offer: just £1 for 3 months. Start your free trial now: Get the latest headlines: and are websites of The Telegraph, the UK’s best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and world events, business, sport, lifestyle and culture.