Latest news Colombia: Leading drug trafficker of "Tren de Aragua" gang captured
Colombian police have arrested what they say is a leading drug trafficker in the notorious criminal organization "Tren de Aragua". Jorge Luis Páez Cordero, known under the alias "Cucaracho", is accused of coordinating the shipment of tons of cocaine from Colombia and Venezuela to Central America, the United States and Europe, according to police chief General William Oswaldo Rincón Zambrano. He is also alleged to have organized extortion, kidnappings and money laundering in the Caribbean region.
25.02.2026, 07:29
SDA
According to the police, "Cucaracho" is considered the right-hand man of "Niño Guerrero", who is considered the leader of the criminal network. A video released by investigators shows officers from a special unit entering Cordero's luxury home in Santa Marta in northern Colombia and surprising the suspect in his bedroom while he was asleep. An international wanted notice from the police organization Interpol had been issued against him. During the raid, the officers confiscated four cell phones and a tablet, which are now being analyzed.
The "Tren de Aragua", which originates from Venezuela, is considered one of the most influential criminal networks in the region and is associated with drug trafficking, kidnapping and protection rackets. According to the platform "Insight Crime", which specializes in organized crime, it is more of a loose network of different gangs than a tightly run international drug ring.
Death of a drug lord triggers wave of violence in Mexico
The arrest in Colombia came shortly after a serious escalation of drug-related violence in Mexico. During a military operation on Sunday against the head of the Jalisco Nueva Generación drug cartel, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes alias "El Mencho", at least 74 people were killed in fighting and subsequent riots. The cartel boss was also fatally injured. Suspected cartel members set up roadblocks, set fire to vehicles and attacked stores.
