The leader of the notorious transnational criminal organisation, Tren de Aragua, Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, popularly known as Nino Guerrero, has been killed during a joint security operation involving the United States and Venezuela.
Venezuelan authorities confirmed the development on Friday, describing the operation as a coordinated effort supported by intelligence sharing and specialised technology provided by the United States.Founded in Venezuela, Tren de Aragua has expanded its operations across several countries in Latin America, including Colombia, Peru and Chile.
The United States has designated the group a terrorist organisation.In a statement, Venezuela’s Ministry of Communications said: “There were clashes with members of these criminal structures, in which Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias ‘Nino Guerrero,’ was neutralized.”According to the ministry, the operation was carried out in the southeastern region of Bolivar State and involved “specialized technological support” alongside intelligence cooperation between both countries.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced that American forces had conducted a targeted strike against the gang leader.”At my direction, the United States Southern Command delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike to successfully execute Nino Guerrero,” Trump said in a post on his official Truth Social platform.
He further stated that the mission was undertaken in collaboration with Venezuelan authorities, noting that the attack “was coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela, with whom we are working very well.”Trump added that the operation marked a significant step in efforts to dismantle the criminal network, declaring: “As a result, Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else.
“The death of Guerrero represents a major blow to Tren de Aragua, a group that has evolved from a Venezuelan prison gang into a transnational criminal organisation with influence extending beyond South America.
