President Donald Trump announced on June 13 that the leader of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, was killed in a US military airstrike. The strike was carried out by the United States Southern Command, marking a significant escalation in Washington’s campaign against the transnational criminal organization.
Trump made the announcement via Truth Social, describing the operation as a “swift and lethal kinetic strike.” He also indicated the Venezuelan government cooperated in the effort.
What we know about the strike
Guerrero Flores, known by the alias Niño Guerrero, led Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal syndicate involved in drug trafficking and extortion across Latin America and the United States. Trump referred to the organization as a “bloodthirsty Terrorist Organization” in his statement.
Major outlets including BBC, The Guardian, NBC News, and NPR confirmed the strike took place. No independent verification or video evidence of the operation was initially available.
