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Who is Jimena Araya, alias ‘Rosita’? Venezuelan model-DJ sanctioned in US over TdA gang links
Venezuelan model-DJ Jimena “Rosita” Araya was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for alleged ties to the Tren de Aragua gang and its leader, “Niño Guerrero.”
Venezuelan model and DJ Jimena Araya, popularly known as Rosita, has been sanctioned by the US Department of Treasury for her links to the banned Tren de Aragua gang. Araya, whose full name is Jimena Romina Araya Navarro, is quite popular among the Spanish-speaking community in the United States for her appearance on some Spanish TV shows.
Apart from her acting and modelling career, Jimena Araya also works as a part-time DJ and hosts shows regularly in Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico. The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said Wednesday that Araya is "romantically linked" to the head of Tren de Aragua (TdA) - Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias 'Niño Guerrero.'
The Treasury Department says that Rosita helped the TdA to launder money, along with others in the entertainment industry with alleged gang links.
Who is Jimena Araya, alias 'Rosita'?
Jimena Araya is model, actor and DJ from Venezuela. She is best known in the United States for her appearances on Spanish TV shows from the early 2000s, such as El amor las vuelve locas (2005), Negra consentida (2004) and El Cuerpo del Deseo (2005).
Jimena Araya has over 4 million followers across social media. On Instagram alone, she has over 3 million followers. According to the New York Post, she is known for her love of bikinis.
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What Are Her Links To TdA?
The Treasury Department said in a release on Wednesday that Jimena 'Rosita' Araya had romantic links to the Tre de Aragua boss, Niño Guerrero and helped the notorious gang boss flee Venezuelan prison in 2012. Post Niño Guerrero's escape, she helped the gang launder money, the OFAC said.
“Under President Trump, barbaric terrorist cartels can no longer operate with impunity across our borders. The Tren de Aragua network’s narcotrafficking and human smuggling operations have long posed a grave threat to our nation, a statement from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent included in the report read.
