A 26-year-old man suspected of being affiliated with a violent transnational gang has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of assault and abuse in Wisconsin. Alejandro Jose Coronel Zarate was taken into custody by the Prairie du Chien Police Department after officers responded to reports of a suspect being physically and sexually violent with a woman.
According to the police department, Zarate was charged with two counts of domestic battery, two counts of second-degree sexual assault, physically abusing a child, disorderly conduct, domestic disorderly conduct, and strangulation/suffocation. A female juvenile was also found to have been injured during the altercation.
Zarate is believed to be a member of Tren de Aragua, a notorious transnational crime organization known for its involvement in homicide, abduction, extortion, drug trafficking, and human smuggling, among other crimes. The organization has been linked to violent activities in several US cities, including Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, and Miami.
The suspect was brought to Prairie du Chien from the Dane County area, where he had outstanding warrants for strangulation/suffocation, false imprisonment, battery, and disorderly conduct, according to the police department. Zarate is currently being held at the Crawford County Jail.
