By Zoila Palma: Colombian security forces have captured a suspected senior leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, in an operation praised by the U.S. Southern Command as a sign of deepening security cooperation between the two countries.
Luis Saúl Pérez Nieto, also known by the aliases “Páez” and “Nairobi,” was captured Thursday, with Colombian authorities accusing him of coordinating weapons and drug-trafficking networks across the region.
Colombian police said the operation also involved the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Authorities accuse Pérez Nieto of helping expand Tren de Aragua’s operations in Peru while coordinating drug and arms trafficking across the continent, AP reports.
The gang, which originated as a prison gang in Venezuela, has expanded into a transnational criminal organization with operations across parts of Latin America.
The arrest comes as Colombia’s new conservative President Abelardo de la Espriella moves to strengthen security cooperation with Washington and intensify the fight against organized crime.
The U.S. Southern Command welcomed the capture, stating that “Narco-terrorists have no safe haven in our hemisphere,” while DEA Administrator Terry Cole congratulated Colombian authorities on the arrest of a senior Tren de Aragua leader.
Colombian and Peruvian authorities said the United States had requested Pérez Nieto’s arrest and extradition on allegations including terrorism, money laundering, drug trafficking and criminal conspiracy.
Colombian police also said he escaped Venezuela’s Tocorón prison in 2023 alongside Tren de Aragua leader Héctor “Niño Guerrero” Guerrero Flores, who was killed in a U.S. military strike earlier this year.
The arrest comes amid broader efforts by the United States, Colombia and other countries in the region to target organized crime and drug trafficking networks.
The post International News: Colombia captures suspected Tren de Aragua leader as US security cooperation deepens appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: Colombian security forces have captured a suspected senior leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, in an operation praised by the U.S. Southern Command as a sign of deepening security cooperation between the two countries. Luis Saúl Pérez Nieto, also known by the aliases “Páez” and “Nairobi,” was captured Thursday, with
The post International News: Colombia captures suspected Tren de Aragua leader as US security cooperation deepens appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
