{"id":236532,"date":"2023-09-22T09:34:29","date_gmt":"2023-09-22T09:34:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lovemainstream.com\/?p=236532"},"modified":"2023-09-22T09:34:29","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T09:34:29","slug":"dramatic-moment-11000-cops-storm-lawless-narco-mega-prison-to-find-casino-nightclub-and-zoo-inside-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lovemainstream.com\/world-news\/dramatic-moment-11000-cops-storm-lawless-narco-mega-prison-to-find-casino-nightclub-and-zoo-inside-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"Dramatic moment 11,000 cops storm lawless narco mega-prison to find casino, nightclub and ZOO inside | The Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"
INCREDIBLE footage shows the moment 11,000 cops raided a gang-ruled prison to find a zoo, nightclub, pool and casino.<\/p>\n
Tocoron prison, in Venezuela, is notoriously run by the country's most powerful gang who built a mini city inside the jail walls.<\/p>\n
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Over 10,000 soldiers and police stormed the prison to find families living there with inmates in shacks with television and internet. <\/p>\n
The dramatic raid saw tank-like armoured vehicles swarm the gates, violent clashes between inmates and cops and a fire break out.<\/p>\n
Bizarre body cam footage shows flamingos making their way through a dirty pond in the prisons zoo as cops storm the compound.<\/p>\n
The wildlife park was reportedly home to an array of wild beasts, including leopards, tigers, lions, crocodiles and pumas. <\/p>\n
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Members of the gang also enjoyed their own nightclub and restaurant, where inmates could eat and party with visitors.<\/p>\n
Cops found a swimming pool next to a play area for children, and a baseball field.<\/p>\n
Inmates also enjoyed gambling in a makeshift casino and illegally mined cryptocurrency in the mini city.<\/p>\n
A huge blaze broke out during the siege on Wednesday, consuming the village where inmates' families lived, the Telegraph reports.<\/p>\n
<\/picture>FINAL WHISTLE <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/picture>DEAR DEIDRE <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/picture>FIONA’S FIGHT <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n <\/picture>ACE DEATH SHOCK <\/span><\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n Cops also found a network of tunnels, where some of the cartel bosses are believed to have escaped as authorities raided the 'city'.<\/p>\n One of the underground passages had several exits, including one that led to a lake with three wooden rafts on the shore.<\/p>\n They also found an enormous arsenal of weapons inside the Aragua prison, including automatic rifles, pistols and ammunition.<\/p>\n For over 20 years the Tocoron jail served as the headquarters for the Tren de Aragua gang, who lived a life of resort-style freedom alongside inmates and their families.<\/p>\n The violent criminal network, made up of almost 3,000 members in Venezuela and more in other countries, have a long list of crimes.<\/p>\n From drug and arms trafficking to prostitution rings, illegal gold mining and extortion, the most powerful members were able to run their criminal activity from inside the jail.<\/p>\n The gang leader, Hector 'Nino' Guerrero, escaped with his cronies days before the bust following a tip-off, local media reported.<\/p>\n Guerrero, 39, was serving a 17-year sentence for murder and drug trafficking, but had free reign to come and go as he pleased, MailOnline reports.<\/p>\n Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro congratulated the armed forces and police for their efforts following the raid.<\/p>\n He wrote on X, formerly Twitter: "We are heading towards a Venezuela free of criminal gangs!"<\/p>\n Interior minister Remigio Ceballos added: "We have put an end to the irregularities in this space, we have detected some tunnels, in that tunnel system we have prevented a massive escape, and we have controlled all those deprived of liberty."<\/p>\n He confirmed yesterday that 60 members of the violent gang had been arrested and four prison officials have also been held for allegedly allowing the smuggling of weapons.<\/p>\n The government later said it had launched an operation to capture any prisoners who fled as they closed in on the corrupt jail.<\/p>\n Between 400 and 500 inmates are still missing, according to Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Families of the prisoners transferred to other jails waited outside the compound for information on where their relatives had been sent.<\/p>\n Electricity and phone signals were blocked hours before the dramatic raid, and local businesses were told to close, NTN24 reported.<\/p>\nFears iconic BBC football show could be axed after dramatic drop in viewers<\/h3>\n
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