Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, better known as 'Niño Guerrero' and the leader of Venezuela's notorious Tren de Aragua gang, was killed in a "swift and lethal kinetic strike" carried out by the US military, President Donald Trump announced on Friday.
The Trump administration has accused Tren de Aragua of waging "irregular warfare" against the United States and has designated the group a foreign terrorist organisation. Guerrero was charged in a US federal court in December with racketeering conspiracy and several other crimes.
He became one of Latin America's most wanted fugitives after escaping from Venezuela's Tocorón Prison shortly before a major security raid on the facility in 2023.
"At my direction, the United States Southern Command delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike to successfully execute Nino Guerrero, the infamous leader of Tren de Aragua, one of the most bloodthirsty terrorist organisations on the planet," Trump said in a post on social media.
"Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else and, under my leadership, we will find these vicious murderers and drug lords anytime, anyplace, and send them to the depths of hell where they belong," he added.
Trump also shared footage of the operation, saying it was closely coordinated with "our friends in Venezuela." He did not specify when the strike took place. However, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth later said the operation had been conducted earlier in the week against a Tren de Aragua compound in Venezuela.
Venezuela's Information Ministry confirmed Guerrero's death and said the operation involved specialised technological support and was carried out through intelligence-sharing and cooperation between authorities from both countries.
The Trump administration has alleged that Tren de Aragua operated with the support of the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro before he was captured by US forces during an overnight operation earlier this year. Maduro has been accused of collaborating with the gang, which is linked to extortion, human trafficking, contract killings, money laundering, extortion kidnappings, and other criminal activities.
According to reports, the gang also controlled routes used by Venezuelan and other South American migrants heading toward Chile and other destinations across South America and Europe.
Tren de Aragua originated as a prison gang more than a decade ago in Venezuela's central state of Aragua. Under Guerrero's leadership, the organisation expanded across several countries, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile.
