Colombian authorities have captured Jorge Luis Páez Cordero better known by his criminal alias "Cucaracho", a key international leader of the Venezuelan-origin transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua in Santa Marta. The arrest occurred on February 24, 2026, during a coordinated operation named "Operación Damasco." It involved Colombia's National Police, the Attorney General's Office (Fiscalía), the GAULA anti-kidnapping unit, the Directorate of Police Intelligence, the Jungla Commando forces, and support from international partners including the DEA. Following months of surveillance and intelligence work, authorities located him in an upscale residential area of the city, where he was living luxuriously. reportedly caught off guard in a high-end complex, possibly while relaxing by the pool or in his residence with a woman. Alias "Cucaracho" was the subject of an Interpol Red Notice requested by Venezuela. He is accused of orchestrating major cocaine shipments from Colombia and Venezuela to destinations in Central America, the United States, and Europe (often via speedboats or narco-boats). He is also linked to extortion, kidnappings, money laundering, arms trafficking, and financing terrorism within the Tren de Aragua structure, where he is described as a close confidant and right-hand man to the group's top leader, alias "Niño Guerrero." During the raid, officials seized four cell phones and a tablet. .