Santiago, Chile – The US will work with Chile to deploy biometric technology to control migration and disrupt criminal networks, Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem said he visited the South American country on Wednesday.
“The arrangement will serve as a bridge to help Chile and the United States work to lead criminals to trial and find out who is perpetuating crimes in our country,” Noem said as he signed a preliminary agreement with Chilean security minister Luis Cordero and Justice Minister Jaime Gallard.
“The increased cooperation between our nations is extremely important for tracking offenders, terrorists and dangerous individuals,” she added from the Santiago capital, with thousands of nearby residents evacuated along the Pacific coast in tribute to the tsunami warning.
The plan comes as the Trump administration is trying to strengthen regional cooperation in clampdowns against cross-border criminal groups, including Tren de Aragua, the infamous Venezuelan gang designated by the White House as a foreign terrorist organization.
The bilateral agreement allows Chilean officials to identify dangerous migrants who may enter and leave the country and share biometric data, such as fingerprints and iris scans, with the Department of Homeland Security.
“This information will become very important as we go after these criminal acts,” Noem said, praised past cooperation between the country's intelligence reporting agencies.
Tren de Aragua has wreaked havoc in the former secular Chile in recent years. They smuggle undocumented immigrants across borders, run prostitution rings, transport drugs, and terrorize the population with horrifying crimes.
However, Chilean authorities have fought back, bringing many gang members to trial in recent months. After spreading to Latin America following illegal migration, Tren de Aragua infiltrated the United States and inflamed domestic politics.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Chile recently worked together to disrupt a South American criminal network, allegedly responsible for a series of robberies targeting millions of dollar homes of well-known US and European celebrities and professional athletes. The suspect is currently facing charges in Florida among Chilean citizens.