Colombian Authorities Arrest Suspected Venezuelan Gang Leader in Joint

Colombian security forces detained Luis Saul Perez Neto on Thursday, identifying him as a suspected leader of the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua. Authorities stated he had been coordinating the gang’s regional weapons trafficking and drug smuggling networks.

Escalating Bilateral Counter-Crime Coordination

The arrest signals an early demonstration of the accelerated pace of joint anti-organised-crime operations between Colombia and the United States since Álvaro de la Espriella assumed the Colombian presidency earlier this month. De la Espriella, a conservative leader who has publicly expressed admiration for former U.S. President Donald Trump, pledged to crush powerful drug traffickers in Colombia with Washington’s support.

His administration designated Medellín—the country’s second-largest city—as the hub for Trump’s new regional anti-gang alliance. It also welcomed joint military operations with the U.S. Army on Colombian soil, marking a sharp departure from the approach of his progressive predecessor.

U.S. Southern Command Statement

U.S. Southern Command issued a statement on Friday confirming the arrest. It declared: “Narcoterrorists have no safe haven in our hemisphere. We stand united with our partners to dismantle these criminal networks and protect our homeland.”

Colombian police confirmed the detention of Perez Neto—who uses the aliases “Pais” and “Nairobi”—without releasing further operational details. The operation involved collaboration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.