In a significant international operation, the alleged leader of the armed wing of the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua has been apprehended. The arrest of José Antonio Márquez Morales, also known as Caracas, was announced by Colombia’s National Police. The operation, which involved collaboration between Colombia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, took place in the city of Valledupar. Morales is accused of playing a pivotal role in managing the logistics and finances for the gang, which is involved in extortion, drug trafficking, and smuggling. Tren de Aragua has been designated as a terrorist organization by former US President Donald Trump, who also deported over 250 alleged members of the gang to a prison in El Salvador. Carlos Fernando Triana Beltrán, Director of Colombia’s National Police, revealed that Morales was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice, a global alert requesting law enforcement agencies to detain an individual pending extradition. The arrest comes amid escalating tensions between the US and Venezuela, particularly concerning the Trump administration’s anti-drug-trafficking initiatives in Latin America. The US has recently deployed warships to the Caribbean and conducted bombings of vessels allegedly transporting drugs from Venezuela to the US. The Trump administration has accused Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro of colluding with drug cartels and has offered a $50 million reward for information leading to his capture. Maduro has vehemently denied these allegations and has defended his government’s efforts to combat drug trafficking.