Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella speaks during a press conference at the Palacio de San Carlos in Bogota, Colombia, on Aug. 12, 2026. Esteban Vega La-Rotta/AFP via Getty Images
Colombian security forces have captured Luis Saúl Pérez Nieto, a senior leader of the transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella announced on Aug. 27.
Espriella described Nieto, who is also known as Páez and Nairobi, as the main leader of Tren de Aragua in Peru. He is wanted for extortion, homicide, and arms and drug trafficking activities.
Tren de Aragua originated in Venezuela’s Tocorón prison and has spread to neighboring Latin American states. The U.S. government designated the group as a foreign terrorist organization in 2025.
According to Espriella, Nieto also served as a confidant of Héctor Guerrero Flores, the founder and leader of Tren de Aragua.
“The message for transnational crime is clear: Colombia will not be a refuge or sanctuary for any criminal. We will pursue them, capture them, and bring them to justice, no matter where they come from,” Espriella said.
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The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) congratulated Espriella on Nieto’s arrest.
“This arrest hits TdA [Tren de Aragua] where it hurts and demonstrates what determined partnerships can do,” DEA Administrator Terry Cole said in an Aug. 27 statement. “DEA is proud to stand with Colombia.”
The U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), which oversees military operations in and around Central and South America, also touted Nieto’s arrest.
“Congratulations to Colombia on the capture of a senior Tren de Aragua leader,” SOUTHCOM said. “Narco-terrorists have no safe haven in our hemisphere—through the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, we stand united with our partners to dismantle these criminal networks and protect our homeland.”
The Americas Counter Cartel Coalition is a U.S.-led military coalition of Western Hemisphere states, launched in March to coordinate efforts to disrupt cartels and other criminal organizations in the region.
Earlier this month—just days after Espriella took office—Colombia became the 19th country to join the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition.
The new Colombian president has touted several other recent law enforcement operations to arrest cartel suspects and dismantle their operations.
Nieto’s arrest occurred the same day that SOUTHCOM commander Gen. Francis L. Donovan met with Colombian and Ecuadorian military leaders to discuss expanding military cooperation.
“Under the banner of the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, we cemented a unified strategy to hunt cartel leadership, shatter their logistics, and permanently deny them safe haven,” Donovan said.
