Washington, DC – In a significant security development, US President Donald Trump announced that US forces had killed Héctor Rustenford Guerrero Flores, also known as “El Niño Guerrero,” the notorious leader of the Trín de Aragua organized crime group. This occurred during a targeted special military operation. The announcement came just weeks after Washington officially designated the group as a foreign terrorist organization, citing its growing threat to regional and international security.
On the evening of Friday, June 12, President Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social: “At my direct direction, U.S. Southern Command conducted a swift and lethal strike that eliminated Niño Guerrero, the notorious leader of the Trín de Aragua gang.” Trump described the group as “one of the most vicious and bloodthirsty terrorist organizations in the world.” He also revealed that the complex military operation was carried out in close cooperation and coordination with Venezuelan authorities.
For his part, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the raid took place earlier this week. He noted that Guerrero’s death was officially confirmed after the operation concluded. Similarly, the Venezuelan Ministry of Information issued a statement confirming a violent armed clash between security forces and members of the criminal group during the raid. As a result, Guerrero was neutralized. The Venezuelan ministry added that the operation relied on specialized intelligence techniques. It also explained that the operation was conducted within the framework of information sharing and joint security coordination between officials in both countries.
The Trump administration had repeatedly targeted Guerrero and the leaders of the Tren de Aragua with harsh sanctions in recent months. These sanctions included charges of drug trafficking, human trafficking, and money laundering. The gang has evolved rapidly in recent years, transforming from a group that originated within Venezuelan prisons into one of the most dangerous transnational organized crime networks in Latin America. According to regional police officials, the group has been involved in extortion, kidnapping, contract killings, and smuggling. Furthermore, the gang’s activities have extended from Panama and Brazil to other countries. In addition, it has controlled the illegal migration routes used by South Americans heading to Chile, Europe, and the United States.
The White House stated: “The group’s activities, coordinated with the Maduro government within the United States, justified the transfer of some migrants associated with it to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador.”
Guerrero had successfully escaped from the Tocurón maximum-security prison in 2023, along with several other gang leaders, just before it was stormed by Venezuelan security forces. This escape highlighted the group’s immense influence at the time. However, his reign of terror ended completely in this joint military operation.
