Colombia arrests ‘key leader’ of Tren de Aragua with US support
Colombia, with the help of U.S. law enforcement, arrested Jorge Luis Laez Cordero, nicknamed “Cucaracho,” a key leader of the Venezuelan-based gang Tren de Aragua, as part of a sweep that reportedly included seven TdA leaders detained in the country this week. The group is accused of various crimes, including drug trafficking, sex trafficking, kidnapping, extortion, arms trafficking, money laundering, and murder, and is designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist institution. The U.S.State Department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism described the action as part of a broader effort to disrupt and eliminate violent transnational terrorist networks like TdA. The piece notes that the Trump management previously sanctioned TdA and ordered deportations for members not naturalized or lawfully residing in the U.S., highlighting ongoing security cooperation in the region. It also references related regional security developments, such as the reported killing of a major cartel leader in Mexico with U.S. intelligence assistance,illustrating broader efforts to curb organized crime.
Colombia arrests ‘key leader’ of Tren de Aragua with US support
Colombia has arrested a key leader of the Venezuelan-based terrorist organization Tren de Aragua with the support of United States law enforcement officials.
The U.S. State Department Bureau of Counterterrorism announced on Friday that the officials captured Jorge Luis Laez Cordero, nicknamed “Cucaracho,” this week. The bureau said Cucaracho was one of seven Tren de Aragua leaders arrested in Colombia this week.
“TdA is known to engage in drug trafficking, sex trafficking, kidnapping, extortion, arms trafficking, money laundering, and even murder—fueling violence and pushing narcotics into the United States,” the Bureau of Counterterrorism wrote. “This action underscores the Trump Administration’s commitment to designating, disrupting, and eliminating violent transnational terrorist groups like TdA.”
Tren de Aragua is a designated foreign terrorist group whose members and illegal activities have been the targets of several U.S. sanctions and military strikes.
President Donald Trump declared in a proclamation in March of last year that the foreign terrorist organization was “undertaking hostile actions and conducting irregular warfare” in the U.S. Trump ordered the deportation of any Tren de Aragua gang members who were “not actually naturalized or lawful permanent residents” of the U.S. to be deported as illegal immigrants.
The Trump administration has also previously noted close ties between the gang and former Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro’s regime.
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Cucaracho’s arrest comes just days after the Mexican military killed the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in Mexico with the help of U.S. intelligence.
Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, or “El Mencho,” was arrested on Sunday after running the Jalisco state cartel for over 15 years. A brief period of retaliation from the cartel followed El Mencho’s killing in Jalisco state, as 25 members of the Mexican National Guard were killed. The region has largely stabilized, and flights have returned to the local airports.
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