President Donald Trump said U.S. Southern Command carried out a strike in Venezuela, coordinated with Venezuelan security forces, that killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores—better known as “Niño Guerrero,” whom U.S. officials describe as the leader of the Tren de Aragua criminal group.
The United States carried out what President Donald Trump described as a "swift and lethal" strike in Venezuela that killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as “Niño Guerrero,” whom U.S. officials have identified as the leader of the Tren de Aragua gang.
Trump said the operation was conducted by U.S. Southern Command and "coordinated closely" with Venezuelan authorities. Venezuela’s government also said Guerrero Flores was killed during what it called a combined operation with U.S. forces and Venezuelan security services.
In a social media post cited by The Daily Wire, Trump blamed former President Joe Biden for what he described as an influx of criminals across the southern border and named Jocelyn Nungaray and Laken Riley among victims he referenced while arguing for a tougher approach toward the group.
U.S. officials framed the strike as part of a broader campaign against organized crime in the region. Gen. Francis L. Donovan, identified by The Daily Wire as the head of U.S. Southern Command, thanked Venezuelan security forces for support in what he called a successful joint operation against a Tren de Aragua compound, and said Guerrero was wanted by the U.S. Department of Justice for allegedly ordering, directing, and facilitating acts of terrorism and violence in the United States.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Guerrero’s death had been confirmed and described the operation as evidence of U.S.-Venezuelan cooperation to deny “narco-terrorists” safe haven. He said the United States would continue working with security partners in the region against criminal organizations.
Independent reporting on the strike’s specifics remains limited. Some outlets have reported Venezuela said there were no U.S. troops on Venezuelan soil during the operation, despite the U.S. description of a U.S.-led strike coordinated with Venezuelan forces.
