US Military Kills Tren de Aragua Leader Niño Guerrero in Joint Strike With Venezuela

The United States military killed the leader of Tren de Aragua in a joint operation with Venezuelan security forces on June 12, 2026, President Donald Trump announced Friday evening — eliminating the man credited with transforming a Venezuelan prison gang into one of the Western Hemisphere's most dangerous transnational criminal organisations.

Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as Niño Guerrero — also called "The Unspeakable" and "The Big Eyebrow" — was 43 years old at the time of his death. According to CNN, Trump posted video of a building exploding on Truth Social alongside the announcement, describing the operation as "a swift and lethal kinetic strike."

"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.

Who Was Niño Guerrero

Guerrero Flores ran Tren de Aragua for more than a decade, initially operating the gang out of Tocorón Prison in Venezuela — directing members on the outside and collecting a cut of their criminal earnings, according to CBS News.

He escaped from Tocorón in 2012 and was rearrested a year later. Under his direction, Tren de Aragua expanded from a Venezuelan prison gang into a transnational operation with a presence across Latin America, the United States, and Spain.

A New York federal indictment filed late last year charged him with racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, and cocaine conspiracy. The State Department had offered up to $5 million for information leading to his capture, listing him as a most wanted fugitive with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Trump administration designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organisation in February 2025, making it a central target of the president's immigration enforcement agenda.

📰 Related: Why Zapopan Is Suddenly Trending as Mexico Faces New Security Questions Before the 2026 World Cup

How the Strike Was Carried Out

The operation was a joint effort between US and Venezuelan forces — an unusual act of security cooperation between two governments that have maintained a deeply adversarial relationship for years.

According to NBC News, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike on X, stating US forces had hit "a Tren de Aragua compound" in Venezuela. US Southern Command Commander General Francis Donovan described the operation as targeting a Tren de Aragua compound in Bolívar state, in southeastern Venezuela.

Venezuela's communications ministry confirmed the strike in a statement, describing it as "a combined operation between Venezuelan and United States security agencies in the southeastern Bolívar state," noting it involved "intelligence sharing and specialized technical support." The statement confirmed that "clashes occurred with members of these criminal groups, resulting in the neutralization" of Guerrero Flores.

Trump posted that the operation had been "closely coordinated with the Venezuelan government," adding: "Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else and, under my leadership, we will find these vicious murderers and drug lords anytime, anyplace, and send them to the depths of hell where they belong."

📰 Related: Kharg Island Tensions Put Global Oil Markets on Alert

Part of a Broader Military Campaign

Friday's strike is part of a pattern of US military action against criminal organisations in Latin America that has accelerated under the Trump administration.

According to CNN, the killing follows a broader military campaign that has resulted in more than 200 people killed in strikes on alleged drug boats operating in the region. Tren de Aragua became a specific focus of Trump's immigration enforcement rhetoric after the gang was linked to violent incidents in US cities including Aurora, Colorado and New York.

The US-Venezuela security cooperation involved here is analytically significant. Despite years of sanctions, diplomatic rupture, and the Trump administration's prior support for opposition figures seeking to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro, both governments found common ground on targeting the criminal organisation that had become a domestic political liability for Maduro inside Venezuela as well.

📰 Related: Extreme Heat Warnings Expand Across the US as Dangerous Weekend Temperatures Trigger Health Concerns

Key Takeaways

• US Southern Command killed Tren de Aragua leader Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores (Niño Guerrero), 43, in a joint operation with Venezuelan forces on June 12, 2026.
• The strike targeted a Tren de Aragua compound in Bolívar state, southeastern Venezuela.
• Guerrero Flores was indicted in New York federal court on racketeering, terrorism support, and cocaine charges; the State Department offered $5 million for his capture.
• Venezuela confirmed the operation, describing it as a "combined operation" involving intelligence sharing.
• The strike is part of a broader campaign that has killed more than 200 people in drug boat strikes since Trump returned to office.

Sources

• CNN — Top Tren de Aragua leader killed in US military strike, Trump announces
• NBC News — Trump says alleged leader of Tren de Aragua gang killed in US strike
• CBS News — Trump says US killed Tren de Aragua leader in airstrike
• NPR — Trump says US military strike killed leader of Tren de Aragua gang
• AOL/AP — Trump says US killed Tren de Aragua leader in airstrike

Also Read

• Tornadoes Hit Midwest as Chicago-Area Storms Leave Thousands Without Power
• El Niño Watch Returns as Climate Agencies Warn of Extreme Weather Risks
• Pentagon Locked Down — Hazmat Teams Respond to Alert