President Donald Trump announced Saturday that the United States military carried out a targeted operation that resulted in the death of Niño Guerrero, the alleged leader of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the operation was conducted under his direct orders by U.S. Southern Command.
“At my direction, the United States Southern Command delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike to successfully execute Niño Guerrero, the infamous leader of Tren De Aragua, one of the most bloodthirsty Terrorist Organizations on Planet Earth,” Trump wrote.
He added “Before I returned to office, Joe Biden opened our Southern Border to millions of illegal Criminals, and allowed this foreign army to rape, maim, and murder American Citizens with total impunity.”
The president described the operation as a major victory in the administration’s broader campaign against transnational criminal groups operating throughout Latin America and the United States.
Tren de Aragua, which originated in Venezuela, has been accused by multiple governments of involvement in human trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, drug smuggling, and violent organized crime activities across the Western Hemisphere. U.S. officials have increasingly characterized the group as a growing national security threat due to its expanding presence in several American cities.
As of Saturday evening, the Pentagon and U.S. Southern Command had not publicly released additional details regarding the location of the strike, the intelligence that led to Guerrero’s targeting, or whether other individuals were killed during the operation.
Niño Guerrero, whose real name is Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, was widely considered the founder and top leader of Tren de Aragua. Venezuelan authorities had long sought his capture after he allegedly escaped from Tocorón prison during a major security operation in 2023.
