U.S. President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces have killed Héctor Rosthenford Guerrero Flores, known as “Niño Guerrero,” the leader of the criminal gang “Tren de Aragua,” during an operation in Venezuela.
On the evening of Friday, June 22, Trump wrote on the social media platform Truth Social that, on his orders, the U.S. Southern Command carried out a “swift and lethal strike” resulting in the killing of the group’s leader.
The U.S. president described “Tren de Aragua” as one of the world’s most violent criminal organizations and said the operation was conducted in close cooperation with Venezuelan authorities.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also stated that the operation took place earlier in the week and that Niño Guerrero’s death had been confirmed.
The Venezuelan Ministry of Information issued a statement saying that clashes occurred between security forces and members of criminal groups during the operation.
The ministry also added that the operation was carried out using specialized technology and within the framework of cooperation and intelligence sharing between officials of the two countries.
According to U.S. officials, the Trump administration had previously sanctioned Niño Guerrero and several leaders of “Tren de Aragua” in recent months on charges of drug trafficking, human trafficking, and money laundering.
The “Tren de Aragua” group has in recent years evolved from a prison gang in Venezuela into a widespread, transnational network across Latin America.
Security officials in the region say the group is involved in activities such as human trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, money laundering, contract killings, smuggling, and organized theft, and that its operations have expanded from Venezuela and Brazil to several other countries in the region.
The group is also accused of controlling parts of migration routes used by Venezuelan citizens and others traveling to Chile, other Latin American countries, and Europe.
Niño Guerrero escaped from Tocorón prison in 2023, shortly before Venezuelan security forces raided the facility. His escape at the time drew widespread attention to the gang’s influence and power within Venezuela’s prison system.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
