President Donald Trump announced Friday that U.S. forces killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, better known as “Niño Guerrero,” the longtime leader of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua, in what he described as a “swift and lethal kinetic strike” carried out by U.S. Southern Command.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the operation was conducted in coordination with Venezuelan authorities and declared that Guerrero, one of the world’s most wanted gang leaders, had been successfully targeted and killed. The president described Tren de Aragua as one of the most violent terrorist organizations operating today.
Who Was Niño Guerrero?
Guerrero rose to prominence as the head of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that expanded far beyond its prison origins into a transnational criminal network operating across Latin America and beyond. Authorities have linked the organization to human trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, drug smuggling, money laundering, contract killings, and organized theft operations. (RELATED: Senior Pentagon Official Says Boat Strike May Have Killed Trafficking Victims)
He had been a fugitive since escaping from Venezuela’s Tocorón prison ahead of a government raid in 2023. U.S. prosecutors later charged him with racketeering conspiracy and terrorism-related offenses, and the State Department offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his capture.
Part of a Broader Campaign
The strike marks the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s campaign against Tren de Aragua. The administration designated the organization as a foreign terrorist organization and has pursued terrorism-related indictments against several alleged senior members. Federal prosecutors previously unsealed sweeping racketeering and terrorism charges against dozens of alleged gang members, while other leaders have been extradited to the United States for prosecution.
The operation also follows a series of U.S. military actions targeting alleged Tren de Aragua-linked drug trafficking operations in and around Venezuelan waters since 2025.
Venezuela’s Response
According to Trump, the strike was coordinated with Venezuelan authorities. As of Friday evening, Venezuelan officials had not publicly commented on the operation. Reuters reported that Venezuela’s information ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Trump used the announcement to reiterate his administration’s hardline stance on transnational criminal organizations, declaring that gang leaders and cartel figures would find no safe haven.
Guerrero’s death represents the most significant blow yet against Tren de Aragua’s leadership structure and one of the highest-profile counter-cartel operations of Trump’s second term.
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