The United States military has killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, a leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, in a joint operation with Venezuelan forces, President Trump announced Friday.
"At my direction, the United States Southern Command delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike to successfully execute Niño Guerrero, the infamous leader of Tren De Aragua, one of the most bloodthirsty Terrorist Organizations on Planet Earth," Trump wrote on Truth Social. He noted that the action was coordinated with Venezuelan authorities.
Venezuela's ministry of communications confirmed the killing in a statement, saying there were clashes with members of the criminal organization during the joint operation. Guerrero Flores was neutralized during these confrontations, the ministry said.
The US government has designated Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organization. Guerrero Flores faced charges in New York federal court for racketeering conspiracy and other crimes spanning more than a decade, including support for terrorists. The State Department had offered rewards of up to 5 million dollars for information leading to his arrest.
According to US attorney Jay Clayton, the gang has been responsible for numerous acts of violence, extortion, and drug trafficking across North America, South America, and Europe. Clayton was nominated by Trump on Thursday to serve as director of national intelligence.
The Trump administration has taken aggressive action against the gang, including strikes on boats the administration said were smuggling drugs into the United States. Trump has claimed that Tren de Aragua "invaded" the country and is responsible for violence and drug trafficking in American cities. These statements have drawn criticism from some members of the Venezuelan diaspora.
Trump spent months asserting that the gang operated under Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's control, a claim contradicted by a declassified US intelligence assessment. The US extradited Maduro to face drug charges in January.
In his announcement of the strike, Trump connected the operation to border security. He criticized his predecessor for policies he said allowed "millions of Illegal Criminals" into the country and blamed previous administration policies for violence by undocumented immigrants. He referenced the deaths of Jocelyn Nungaray and Laken Reilly, two Americans killed in separate attacks by undocumented immigrants, which became a political focal point for conservatives critical of Democratic border policies.
The killing of a top gang leader could potentially disrupt the organization's structure, though the long-term impact on Tren de Aragua's operations remains unclear. Criminal organizations often experience internal conflicts following the death of leadership, which may either weaken the group or spark violence as members compete for control.