US military kills leader of Tren de Aragua gang, Trump says
The US military has killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, the leader of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, in a strike coordinated with Venezuela, President Donald Trump announced Friday. Source: AP News, BBC
What happened
Trump posted a video of a "swift and lethal kinetic strike" that destroyed a green-roofed building. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strike occurred earlier in the week on a Tren de Aragua compound in Venezuela. Source: CNN
Guerrero Flores, known as "Niño Guerrero," was charged in December in New York federal court with racketeering conspiracy and supporting terrorism. The US State Department had offered a $5 million reward for his capture. Source: NPR
Broader context
The killing is part of a broader campaign that has resulted in more than 200 people killed in strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific since September. Source: The Guardian The Trump administration has not provided public evidence of narcotics on those boats or their cartel affiliations. Source: CNN
Reactions
Trump said the operation was "coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela." Venezuela's government has supported the attack, according to Trump, but Venezuela's communications ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Source: Ground News, AP News
Sources
6 quotes“Trump posted footage of what appears to be the airstrike, showing a green building with a nearby shed being blown up.”
“President Donald Trump said Friday that a 'swift and lethal kinetic' U.S. strike has killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, whom he called 'the infamous leader' of the Tren de Aragua gang.”
“Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as Niño Guerrero, was killed in 'a swift and lethal kinetic strike,' Trump announced Friday evening on Truth Social.”
“Trump wrote on Truth Social: 'This action was coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela, with whom we are working very well.'”
“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X that the strike occurred earlier in the week on a Tren de Aragua compound in Venezuela.”
“According to President Donald Trump, the US military has killed the leader of a notorious Venezuelan gang.”