US strike kills Tren de Aragua boss Niño Guerrero, Trump says
Why it matters: The raid, coordinated with Venezuelan authorities, targeted a gang Washington labels a foreign terrorist group.
President Donald Trump said US forces killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, better known as Niño Guerrero, in a military operation this week targeting Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang. Trump said US Southern Command carried out the strike under his orders and that it was closely coordinated with Venezuelan authorities. Venezuela’s information ministry said the operation involved clashes with gang members and intelligence-sharing and special technology support between the two countries. Washington has sanctioned Guerrero and other Tren de Aragua leaders over alleged drug trafficking, human trafficking and money laundering. Guerrero escaped Tocorón prison ahead of a 2023 police raid and had been the subject of a multimillion-dollar US reward.