Bitcoin Mining in a Venezuelan Prison: Shocking Details of the Operation by the ''Train of Aragua'' Gang

Venezuela, a country grappling with economic hardships and hyperinflation, has become the center of an astonishing story: inmates at the Tocorón prison began mining Bitcoin as a means of survival in a hostile and dangerous environment. This unusual practice took place within the walls of the penitentiary, which was under the control of the "Tren de Aragua" gang, one of the most influential and dangerous gangs in the country.

It all began on September 20 when over 11,000 police officers, supported by soldiers in tanks and armored vehicles, launched an assault on the prison. Inmates, who had ventured into the world of cryptocurrencies, put up fierce resistance and even killed at least one soldier. Nevertheless, law enforcement managed to take control of the facility, and what they discovered inside was truly shocking. Alongside sniper rifles, explosives, and grenades, dozens of cryptocurrency mining devices were found within the prison, which inmates used for Bitcoin mining.

This opens a window into the dire conditions in which convicts in Venezuela live. Most members of the "Tren de Aragua" gang not only engaged in Bitcoin mining but also lived inside the prison with their wives and girlfriends. They had access to a pool, gambling, and a restaurant, and their life in prison was not much different from life on the outside. Bitcoin mining, for them, could provide a degree of financial stability.

However, despite the apparent luxury, members of the "Tren de Aragua" gang held regular inmates in a state of slavery. They abused them, effectively subjecting them to their power and control. This became an unacceptable reality for those imprisoned within the walls of Tocorón, where the rule of law and human rights were violated at the deepest levels.

Authorities, conducting a special operation, removed women from the prison and transferred approximately 1,600 inmates to other facilities. A manhunt is underway for those who managed to escape during the raid, and four prison guards have already been arrested on charges of colluding with criminals.

Venezuelan Minister of the Interior Remigio Ceballos has promised that those guilty among the inmates and law enforcement officers will face severe punishment. This incident draws attention to the issues within Venezuelan prisons, where cryptocurrency has become an unusual and not always legal means of survival, while simultaneously shedding light on the darkness behind the walls of these institutions.