The U.S. military, at President Trump's direction, killed Tren de Aragua gang leader "Niño" Guerrero in a strike coordinated with Venezuela. The operation in Venezuela's Bolívar state targeted the head of the transnational criminal group, which the U.S. deems a terrorist organization. Guerrero was wanted on U.S. terrorism and drug charges. The strike is part of a broader Trump administration campaign against narcoterrorism.
US strike on Niño Guerrero
- ▪Guerrero was charged in a New York federal court with crimes including racketeering, terrorism, drug importation, and firearms offenses
- ▪A US military strike killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as "Niño Guerrero," the leader of the Tren de Aragua gang
- ▪The operation took place "earlier this week" relative to June 13, 2026, at a gang compound in Venezuela's southeastern state of Bolívar
- ▪The Biden administration in 2024 had offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Guerrero Flores' arrest
- ▪The strike was conducted by the U.S. Southern Command at the direction of President Donald Trump
US-Venezuela operational coordination
- ▪In January, U.S. troops captured former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who now faces federal drug charges in the U.S.
- ▪Venezuela's government confirmed its participation, stating Guerrero was killed during clashes with criminal groups
- ▪The strike was closely coordinated with the Venezuelan government and involved intelligence sharing between the two countries
Tren de Aragua criminal activities
- ▪The U.S. State Department has designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization
- ▪Tren de Aragua is a transnational criminal gang involved in human trafficking, drug smuggling, extortion, kidnapping, and money laundering
- ▪Ecuador, Argentina, Peru, Canada, and Trinidad and Tobago have also designated Tren de Aragua as a terror group
- ▪The gang has an estimated 7,000 members spread across South America and the US
Venezuelan prison gang origins
- ▪The gang originated in a prison in Venezuela's Aragua state in the mid-2000s and has expanded across Latin America and into several U.S. cities
- ▪Guerrero, age 42, escaped from Tocoron prison in Venezuela in 2023 along with other gang leaders just before a police raid
Trump administration narcoterrorism campaign
- ▪The Trump administration has conducted lethal strikes on boats in the Pacific and Caribbean, killing at least 207 people, while alleging it was targeting the gang
- ▪President Trump has used the gang's activities to justify deporting some immigrants to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador
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