Colombia captures a suspected Tren de Aragua gang leader as US security ties deepen

Colombian authorities announced the arrest of a suspected senior leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua on Friday, highlighting the deepening security ties between the two nations. The capture of Luis Saúl Pérez Nieto, known by aliases "Páez" and "Nairobi," marks the first step in a stronger collaboration between Colombia and the United States to combat organized crime.

Pérez Nieto, who had previously escaped from a Venezuelan prison along with the gang's leader, Héctor "Niño Guerrero" Guerrero Flores, is accused of coordinating weapons and drug-trafficking networks across the region. His arrest is seen as evidence of the rapid intensification of joint efforts against organized crime under Colombia's new conservative president, Abelardo de la Espriella.

The U.S. Southern Command praised the arrest as a result of enhanced military cooperation, stating that "narco-terrorists have no safe haven in our hemisphere." The Trump administration had designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization in 2023, treating Latin American cartels as significant national security threats.

Colombian and Peruvian authorities confirmed that the U.S. had requested Pérez Nieto's arrest and extradition on charges of terrorism, money laundering, drug trafficking, and criminal conspiracy. The DEA did not disclose specific details about the charges against Pérez Nieto or its role in the operation.