The leader of the Tren de Aragua criminal organization was killed during a coordinated operation involving the United States and Venezuela in southern Venezuela, both countries announced on Saturday.
In a further sign of renewed cooperation between Washington and Caracas, the death of Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, better known as “Niño Guerrero,” was first announced by Donald Trump and later confirmed by the Venezuelan government.
In a statement, Venezuela’s Ministry of Communication said that, as part of a coordinated operation with the United States, organized crime structures operating in the southern part of the country were dismantled. Authorities said clashes occurred with members of those groups, during which Guerrero was killed.
The Tren de Aragua organization, which has been designated a terrorist group by the United States, originated in Venezuela and later expanded its activities across Latin America, particularly in Colombia, Peru and Chile. The group has been linked to human trafficking, kidnappings, sexual violence, drug trafficking and murders.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States Southern Command carried out an airstrike targeting “Niño Guerrero, the notorious leader of Tren de Aragua, one of the most bloodthirsty terrorist organizations on Earth.”
Trump added that the operation was “closely coordinated with our friends in Venezuela, with whom we are working very well,” and claimed that members of the group “no longer have a safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else.”
“We will find these vicious murderers and drug lords anywhere, anytime, and send them to the depths of hell where they belong,” the US President said.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on X that the operation had taken place earlier this week and that Guerrero’s death had been confirmed following the strike.
The US State Department had previously offered a reward of $5 million for information leading to his capture.
Source: ANA-MPA
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