'La Barbie' arrested, Tren de Aragua member who ran brutal sex trafficking ring

Authorities arrested a woman, a member of the Tren de Aragua. She is a Venezuelan illegal immigrant identified as Estefania Primera, also known as “La Barbie.” She is accused of running a sex trafficking operation from a hotel in a border city that the gang took control of.

"Primera was arrested in El Paso, Texas, on Sept. 27 after she was spotted with her five young kids, the memo said. Authorities say she also uses her kids as drug mules to hold and sell her narcotics, per the memo," reported the New York Post, which had access to the Border Patrol memo.

According to the information, La Barbie allegedly operated out of the local Gateway Hotel. El Paso authorities closed the location after multiple complaints.

In addition, a sex trafficking victim called La Barbie was identified as the leader of prostitutes who were trafficked to the U.S..

The New York Post reported that “One victim told cops that Primera drugged her multiple times with a pill containing fentanyl. The drugs caused her to pass out. When she came to, she found multiple men having sex with her, according to court docs (...) When she tried to flee, The Barbie forced her back to the hotel. She also repeatedly punched and kicked the woman, the documents alleged.”

Last month, the Texas government declared the Tren de Aragua gang a terrorist organization. Tren de Aragua, considered a transnational gang originating in Venezuela, operates in several South American countries. It has been linked to extortion, homicides and drug trafficking. According to Texas authorities, it is also involved in migrant smuggling.