U.S. President Donald Trump says a U.S. military strike has killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as “Niño Guerrero,” an alleged leader of the Venezuela-based gang Tren de Aragua. Multiple outlets report that Trump announced the killing on his Truth Social account, describing the operation as a “swift and lethal kinetic strike” directed by the White House. The Financial Times, NBC News and other reports say the strike was carried out in coordination with the Venezuelan government. BBC, NPR and CBS likewise attribute the claim to Trump, who said the operation was coordinated closely with Venezuelan counterparts, and that Tren de Aragua no longer has “safe haven” in Venezuela or elsewhere, though sources do not provide specific strike-location details. AFP-reported details in the Jamaica Observer add that Trump’s post included a short video apparently showing a building before an explosion, with no clearly visible people.
The outlets also note Guerrero’s alleged role in expanding Tren de Aragua from a prison gang into a transnational criminal organization. The U.S. has designated Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organization and previously offered a reward connected to Guerrero’s arrest or conviction.
