US military strike kills Tren de Aragua leader 'Niño Guerrero' in Venezuela, Trump announces

The announcement

President Donald Trump said on Friday evening that a US military strike had killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as 'Niño Guerrero', the leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States Southern Command carried out 'a swift and lethal kinetic strike to successfully execute Nino Guerrero'. He described the group as 'one of the most bloodthirsty Terrorist Organizations on Planet'. The statement did not specify when or where the strike occurred, but a video posted alongside the message showed a projectile hitting a rural building followed by a fireball and large plume of smoke.

The terrorists of Tren de Aragua no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else, and under my leadership, we will find these murderers and drug traffickers wherever they are.

Who was Niño Guerrero

Guerrero Flores, 42, was considered one of Venezuela's most dangerous criminals. Tren de Aragua had its origins inside Tocorón prison, about 140 kilometres southwest of Caracas, where Guerrero Flores ran his command centre. He was serving a long sentence for drug trafficking, but the prison effectively operated under his control, with reports describing a luxurious area equipped with a swimming pool and even a small zoo. During a deadly uprising in 2023, Guerrero escaped and had been missing ever since, despite a massive manhunt across South America.

US and Venezuelan coordination

Trump emphasized that the operation was 'coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela, with whom we are working very well'. The direct involvement of Venezuelan forces was highlighted by earlier reporting that troops had launched an operation in the gold‑mining areas south of the Orinoco River, where Tren de Aragua traffics gold. European outlets noted that Venezuelan military units had received US intelligence and that Guerrero was an explicit target of that ground push. The US had already designated Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organisation in July 2025 and offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his capture.

This action was coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela, with whom we are working very well.

Criminal network across the Americas

Tren de Aragua spread from its prison base into an international criminal enterprise active in multiple South American countries, including Chile and Peru, where it became public enemy number one. The group engaged in drug smuggling, human trafficking, extortion, and money laundering. The Trump administration repeatedly cited the gang's reach to justify deporting some immigrants to a maximum‑security prison in El Salvador. Trump also repeated the claim, unsupported by US intelligence, that Tren de Aragua operated under the control of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, who was captured by US special forces in January and is awaiting trial in New York on drug charges.

Political dimension

In his Truth Social statement, Trump used the killing to criticise his predecessor, Joe Biden, accusing him of opening the southern border to 'millions of illegal criminals' and allowing Tren de Aragua to 'rape, mutilate and murder American citizens with total impunity'. He said the strike brought justice to the victims of the gang and their families. The White House, Pentagon and Southern Command had not provided additional operational details at the time the reports were filed.