United States President Donald Trump has announced that a U.S. military operation killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, popularly known as Niño Guerrero, the alleged leader of Venezuela’s notorious Tren de Aragua criminal gang.
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump said the operation was carried out by the U.S. Southern Command and described it as a “swift and lethal kinetic strike” targeting one of the world’s “most bloodthirsty terrorist organizations.”
According to the U.S. President, the operation was conducted in close coordination with Venezuelan authorities.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later confirmed that the strike had taken place earlier in the week. Venezuelan officials also acknowledged an operation against criminal elements, although reports differed on the extent of direct U.S. military involvement.
Niño Guerrero had been one of the most wanted criminal figures in Latin America. He was accused of overseeing the expansion of Tren de Aragua from a prison-based gang into a transnational criminal network linked to drug trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, human trafficking, and money laundering across several countries.
The United States had previously designated the group a foreign terrorist organization and offered a reward for information leading to Guerrero’s capture.
The development marks a significant escalation in Washington’s campaign against transnational criminal organisations operating in the Americas.
This is a developing story, and further details are expected from U.S. and Venezuelan authorities.
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