US President Donald Trump has announced that American forces have killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, widely known as Niño Guerrero, the leader of the Venezuelan criminal gang Tren de Aragua, in an airstrike. Trump disclosed the development on social media, stating that the operation was carried out by the United States Southern Command under his directive. He described the strike as swift and successful, adding that it was conducted in coordination with Venezuelan authorities.
Niño Guerrero led Tren de Aragua for years, transforming it from a prison-based gang into one of Latin America’s most notorious transnational criminal organisations. The group has been linked to crimes including extortion, human trafficking, kidnapping, contract killings and drug-related activities across several countries in the region.
According to US officials, Guerrero played a central role in expanding the gang’s operations beyond Venezuela into countries such as Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile. The United States had previously designated the group a foreign terrorist organisation and accused it of posing a security threat. Footage shared by Trump appeared to show the targeted strike hitting a building believed to be connected to Guerrero. Venezuelan authorities later confirmed their participation in what they described as a joint operation.
Guerrero’s criminal career spanned more than a decade, marked by multiple arrests and dramatic prison escapes. He was known for exerting significant influence from behind bars, particularly at Tocorón Prison, which reportedly operated under gang control for years before Venezuelan forces reclaimed the facility in 2023. The development comes amid an intensified US campaign against drug trafficking networks and organised crime groups operating across Latin America.
While Washington maintains that its military actions are lawful, some legal experts have raised concerns about the legality of such strikes under international law. The Trump administration, however, argues that the operations are justified as part of an ongoing armed conflict against criminal organisations it considers a threat to US national security.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/
