Tren De Aragua-Linked ‘La Barbie’ Arrested for Alleged Sex Trafficking

An alleged sex trafficking ringleader known as La Barbie, who is said to have links to the notorious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, has been arrested in El Paso, Texas, according to a leaked Border Patrol memo seen by the New York Post.

Estefania Primera, an illegal migrant from Venezuela, allegedly drugged a woman and brought men in to gang-rape her while she was unconscious, the New York Post reported.

The accuser alleged that Primera was running a sex-trafficking operation out of a border town hotel.

Primera faces a second-degree felony charge after being arrested on suspicion of the trafficking of persons by law enforcement officials with the Texas Department of Public Safety.

According to the leaked memo, Primera was arrested in El Paso, Texas, on September 27 after she was spotted with her five young children. Authorities said she used her kids to transport and sell drugs in Texas.

Newsweek has contacted the El Paso Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security for comment.

Primera was allegedly running the Venezuelan crime syndicate’s operations in El Paso out of the Gateway Hotel, which authorities recently closed down after receiving numerous complaints about illegal activity.

The alleged victim accused Primera of being the ringleader behind the prostitution operation, according to the memo.

According to reports, the accuser alleges that Primera drugged her multiple times with pills containing fentanyl, which caused her to lose consciousness. When she woke up, she found multiple men having sex with her.

The accuser alleges that she witnessed men pay Primera for sexual acts which she was forced to provide without her consent. According to reports, the accuser suffered serious injuries during the alleged assaults.

The accuser said that she previously tried to leave the hotel but was allegedly forced back inside by Primera. She alleges that Primera attacked her on multiple occasions by kicking and punching her.

The accuser told the Texas Department of Public Safety that a woman helped her walk to the hotel lobby on September 24 and leave the hotel.

Investigators received a tip from the U.S. Border Patrol after the woman made contact with a Border Patrol agent and admitted to having worked as a prostitute at the hotel. The agent detained the woman for being in the United States illegally.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is offering a $5,000 bounty for intel that leads to the capture of members of the notorious gang that has “spread terror and carnage” across the United States.

Tren de Aragua was thrust into the national spotlight in August after footage emerged online in August of the gang storming an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado.

Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman said Tuesday that former president Donald Trump‘s visit to the area on Friday would be an opportunity to put an end to some of the “exaggerated” stories about the gang’s impact.

Trump announced Monday that he would be holding a rally in what had become a “war zone” because of the Biden-Harris administration’s open border policies. The former Republican president previously claimed the town was “overrun” by Venezuelan gangs.

Coffman said in a statement Tuesday afternoon: “Former President Trump’s visit to Aurora is an opportunity to show him and the nation that Aurora is a considerably safe city—not a city overrun by Venezuelan gangs.”

“My public offer to show him our community and meet with our police chief for a briefing still stands.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of sexual violence. If you or someone you know needs help, please call 1-800-656-4673 in the U.S.

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