US President Donald Trump announced that US military forces have killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as “Niño Guerrero”, considered the leader of the transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua. Through a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump announced that the operation was carried out by the US Southern Command and described it as a “swift and decisive” intervention, carried out in cooperation with Venezuelan authorities. He did not provide details on the exact location or time of the action.
The president's message was accompanied by a video showing a building being hit by a shell and the ensuing explosion. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also confirmed the operation had taken place earlier this week, without revealing additional information. "This action demonstrates the joint determination of the US and Venezuela to fight criminal organizations and to leave them no safe haven," Hegseth said.
The White House, the Pentagon and the Southern Command have not released any further details about the mission. Guerrero Flores had long been wanted by US authorities, who had offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest. He was charged by US federal courts with racketeering, drug trafficking and other activities related to organized crime.
According to American investigations, "Niño Guerrero" led Tren de Aragua for more than a decade, an organization that began its activity inside a prison in Venezuela and then transformed into an international criminal network with reach in several Latin American countries and the United States.
The group is accused of involvement in drug trafficking, kidnapping, extortion, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, money laundering and other criminal activities. Due to its activities, the US has classified Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organization. In his statement, Trump stressed that the US administration will continue to pursue members of the organization wherever they are, promising that the fight against cartels and transnational criminal groups will remain one of the main security priorities.
