Death Toll Rises as Venezuelan Security Operation Rages On

Hundreds of security forces have deployed in Venezuela as part of an ongoing government offensive against organized criminal gangs. And the operation’s rising death toll is raising concerns about the human cost of the country’s increasingly militarized security posture.

Venezuelan officials say they have dismantled three criminal networks after deploying more than 400 police and military personnel in four municipalities of Miranda State in mid-April.

Among them was the gang suspected of murdering retired Bolivarian National Guard general Jorge Enrique González Arreaza and his wife, who were found dead in early April, according to El Nacional.

The operation left 13 people dead, saw four suspects detained on drug trafficking charges, and led to the recovery of 12 firearms and 221 packages of marijuana. More than 200 homes were raided as part of the mission.

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