Alleged senior Tren de Aragua leader Luis Saúl Pérez Nieto, also known as “Páez” or “Nairobi,” was arrested, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella (pictured) announced Thursday. Photo by Mauricio Duenas Castaneda/EPA
Aug. 27 (UPI) -- Colombian authorities captured an alleged senior Tren de Aragua leader in Bogotá who was wanted by the United States for crimes that include international arms trafficking and drug trafficking, President Abelardo de la Espriella announced Thursday.
Luis Saúl Pérez Nieto, also known as "Páez" or "Nairobi," was arrested in Fontibón, a district in western Bogotá. De la Espriella identified him as the gang's top leader in Peru and a trusted associate of Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as "Niño Guerrero," the leader of the Venezuelan criminal organization.
Tren de Aragua began as a prison gang in Tocorón and expanded across South America and into the United States. It has been involved in murder, extortion, drug trafficking, human trafficking, sex trafficking, kidnapping and other violent acts.
"Nairobi" allegedly coordinated extortion, international arms trafficking, targeted killings and drug trafficking along strategic routes in South and Central America, according to the president's announcement.
