WASHINGTON, June 13 — U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed that American forces killed one of Latin America’s most notorious gang leaders, Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, widely known as “Niño Guerrero,” the alleged head of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Friday, Trump said the operation was carried out under his direct orders by the U.S. Southern Command. He described the mission as a “swift and lethal” strike conducted in cooperation with Venezuelan authorities.
“The leader of Tren de Aragua, Niño Guerrero, has been eliminated,” Trump said, adding that the operation demonstrated Washington’s determination to combat transnational criminal organizations operating across the Western Hemisphere.
The Venezuelan government separately confirmed Guerrero’s death, stating that he was killed during a confrontation between security forces and members of a criminal group in the southeastern state of Bolívar. Caracas acknowledged cooperation in the broader effort against organized crime but did not provide detailed information about the operation.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also commented on the mission, saying on social media platform X that an operation targeting a Tren de Aragua facility in Venezuela had been conducted earlier this week.
“This operation underscores the shared commitment of the United States and Venezuela to fight narco-terrorists and ensure they have no safe haven in the Western Hemisphere,” Hegseth wrote.
Tren de Aragua emerged from the notorious Tocorón prison in Venezuela’s Aragua state and evolved into one of the region’s most feared criminal organizations. The group has been linked to drug trafficking, extortion, human smuggling, kidnapping, and other transnational crimes. Authorities estimate that the gang has thousands of members operating across South America and parts of the United States.
In February 2025, the Trump administration formally designated Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organization. Several countries, including Ecuador, Argentina, Peru, Canada, and Trinidad and Tobago, have also classified the group as a terrorist or major criminal organization.
Guerrero, 42, had long been one of Venezuela’s most wanted fugitives. He reportedly escaped ahead of a major police raid on Tocorón prison in 2023 and remained at large until the latest operation.
His death is expected to mark a significant blow to Tren de Aragua, although security analysts caution that the gang’s extensive network could continue operating under new leadership.
