The president said the operation targeted Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as Niño Guerrero.
WASHINGTON, DC — President Donald Trump said Friday that U.S. forces killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, the alleged leader of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, in a military strike carried out with help from Venezuelan authorities.
The announcement marked a major escalation in the Trump administration’s campaign against Tren de Aragua, a prison-born criminal network that U.S. officials have tied to drug trafficking, extortion, human trafficking and violence across the Americas. Trump called Guerrero one of the gang’s top figures and said the operation showed that the group no longer had safe haven.
Trump announced the strike in a post on Truth Social, saying U.S. Southern Command carried out what he called a “swift and lethal kinetic strike” against Guerrero. The president said the operation was coordinated with Venezuelan officials and targeted the gang leader after years of efforts to find him. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Guerrero was killed during the strike, which he said hit a Tren de Aragua compound. The exact date of the strike was not immediately clear from Trump’s statement, though U.S. officials said it happened earlier in the week.
Guerrero, widely known as Niño Guerrero, had long been one of Latin America’s most wanted criminal figures. He escaped from Tocorón prison in Venezuela in 2023 after authorities moved to retake control of the facility, which had become a stronghold for Tren de Aragua. U.S. officials later accused him and other gang leaders of running a transnational criminal organization involved in narcotics, weapons, money laundering and migrant smuggling. The State Department had offered up to $5 million for information leading to his capture.
Trump said the strike was part of a broader effort to dismantle Tren de Aragua and other groups his administration has labeled security threats. “We will find these vicious murderers and drug lords anytime, anyplace,” Trump said in his post. The White House did not immediately release a full operational timeline, casualty count or legal memo explaining the strike. It also was not immediately clear whether other people were killed or wounded at the site.
Tren de Aragua began inside Venezuela’s prison system and grew into a regional criminal network as millions of Venezuelans left the country during years of economic and political turmoil. Authorities in several countries have linked the gang to extortion rings, sex trafficking, kidnappings and attacks on migrants. U.S. officials have said the group has operated in parts of the United States, though the size and structure of its U.S. presence have been the subject of political dispute.
The Trump administration designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization earlier in the year, giving federal agencies wider authority to target people accused of supporting the group. The designation also became part of the administration’s immigration enforcement campaign, including efforts to deport suspected gang members. Civil rights groups and some judges have questioned how the government identifies alleged members, while administration officials have said the group poses a direct threat to public safety.
The operation also showed a shift in relations between Washington and Venezuelan authorities. Trump said the strike was coordinated closely with officials in Venezuela and described the partnership as strong. Venezuelan authorities said the action involved intelligence sharing and specialized technology, but they did not immediately provide a full account of their role. The strike came months after a wider U.S. military campaign in the region increased pressure on criminal groups tied to Venezuela.
Legal questions were expected to follow the announcement because the strike took place outside a traditional battlefield and targeted a criminal figure rather than a uniformed military commander. The administration has argued that Tren de Aragua’s terrorist designation and alleged role in trafficking and violence give the United States authority to act. Critics have previously raised concerns about similar strikes, saying the government must explain its evidence, the threat level and the legal basis for using military force.
Members of Trump’s national security team framed the killing as a turning point in the fight against Tren de Aragua. Hegseth said Guerrero’s death would weaken the gang’s command structure. Federal prosecutors in New York had pursued cases tied to the organization, and U.S. officials had described Guerrero as central to its expansion. Investigators are expected to review seized intelligence and track whether remaining leaders try to reorganize operations in Venezuela or abroad.
The scene of the strike was described by officials as a gang compound, but few details were immediately released about the location, the weapons used or the people present. In Venezuela, the gang’s power has often been tied to remote areas, prisons, mining zones and migrant routes. Residents in communities affected by Tren de Aragua have described a climate of fear, with local businesses, drivers and families facing threats from armed groups demanding payment.
The next steps are expected to include more briefings from the White House, Pentagon and U.S. Southern Command. Lawmakers also may seek details on the intelligence behind the strike and whether Congress was notified before or after the operation. Venezuelan authorities could release their own account of the raid, including whether local forces helped identify the compound or recover remains after the attack.
As of Saturday, Trump and Hegseth said Guerrero was dead, but U.S. officials had not released a full evidence package, a complete casualty list or a public after-action report. The next milestone is expected to be a formal military or White House briefing on the operation.
Author note: Last updated June 13, 2026.