Donald Trump announced that the United States military has killed notorious Venezuelan gang leader Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, widely known as Niño Guerrero, during an airstrike targeting the criminal organization Tren de Aragua.
Trump revealed the operation on social media, describing it as a “swift and lethal kinetic strike” carried out by the United States Southern Command. According to the president, the military operation was conducted in close coordination with Venezuelan authorities.
Footage shared online by Trump appeared to show a building being destroyed in a powerful explosion, with debris flying into the air following the strike. Venezuelan officials later confirmed their involvement, calling the attack a “joint operation” with the United States.
Niño Guerrero had long been considered one of Latin America’s most dangerous criminal leaders and was the longtime head of Tren de Aragua, a gang that expanded rapidly across South America and into the United States.
The Trump administration has repeatedly accused the group of conducting violent criminal activities and engaging in what it described as “irregular warfare” against the United States. The organization was officially designated a foreign terrorist organization by the US government.
Under Guerrero’s leadership, Tren de Aragua reportedly evolved from a prison gang into a large transnational criminal network involved in kidnapping, human trafficking, contract killings, extortion and drug-related crimes across several countries including Colombia, Peru, Chile and Ecuador.
The United States government had previously offered millions of dollars in reward money for information leading to Guerrero’s arrest due to his alleged role in expanding the gang’s criminal operations throughout the region.
Guerrero became internationally notorious after transforming Tocorón Prison into what authorities described as a criminal headquarters complete with restaurants, a nightclub, betting shops, a zoo and even a swimming pool while still operating from inside prison.
Although he was arrested multiple times, Guerrero repeatedly escaped custody. In 2023, Venezuelan forces launched a massive military operation involving thousands of soldiers to retake control of Tocorón Prison, but Guerrero managed to flee before security forces captured the facility.
The latest strike comes amid changing relations between Washington and Venezuela following the removal of former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro earlier this year during a dramatic American military operation.
The US government had accused Maduro of collaborating with Tren de Aragua, and Guerrero was named as a co-conspirator in American criminal investigations.
Since then, the United States has reportedly sought closer cooperation with Venezuelan leadership under Delcy Rodríguez while also pursuing agreements related to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.
The strike against Guerrero is part of a wider American campaign targeting suspected cartel and gang-linked trafficking operations across Latin America. US military forces have conducted multiple operations against boats and networks allegedly linked to narcotics smuggling into the United States.
According to American media reports, more than 200 people have been killed in such operations since last year. However, critics and legal experts have questioned the legality of the strikes, arguing that the US military has not publicly provided sufficient evidence proving those targeted were directly involved in criminal activity.
Some international law experts have warned that the operations could violate international law if civilians are targeted without legal due process.
Despite the criticism, the Trump administration maintains that the strikes are lawful and argues that the United States is engaged in an armed conflict against transnational criminal organizations and drug cartels operating across the Americas.
The death of Niño Guerrero is expected to significantly impact Tren de Aragua’s operations, though security experts warn that the group’s decentralized structure and international alliances may allow it to continue operating despite the loss of its longtime leader.
