US Forces Kill Tren de Aragua Leader in Venezuela Strike

US forces carried out a strike that killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as Niño Guerrero, the leader of Venezuela's Tren de Aragua cartel, according to Donald Trump.

"At my direction, the United States Southern Command delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike to successfully execute Nino Guerrero the infamous leader of Tren De Aragua, one of the most bloodthirsty Terrorist Organizations on Planet", Trump wrote on Friday night on Truth Social.

"This action was coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela, with whom we are working very well", Trump added.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth wrote on the X platform that the strike took place earlier that week and confirmed that Guerrero had been killed.

Venezuela's Ministry of Information said clashes with members of criminal groups had taken place during the operation, in which Guerrero was neutralized.

The Trump administration has repeatedly targeted Guerrero and other Tren de Aragua leaders with sanctions for alleged involvement in criminal activities including drug trafficking, human trafficking and money laundering.

The US State Department has designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization.

Trump has claimed that Tren de Aragua coordinated its activities in the US with the Venezuelan government of President Nicolás Maduro.

(reuters, luc)