US Strike Kills Tren de Aragua Gang Boss
US Southern Command killed Héctor Guerrero Flores, known as Niño Guerrero, leader of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, in a strike coordinated with Venezuelan forces
US Southern Command killed Héctor Guerrero Flores, known as Niño Guerrero, leader of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, in a strike coordinated with Venezuelan forces
The strike targeted a Tren de Aragua compound in the southeastern state of Bolívar, Venezuela. Trump and US Southern Command announced the operation on Friday night, June 12, 2026.
Posting on Truth Social, Trump said US Southern Command delivered a "swift and lethal kinetic strike" to kill Niño Guerrero, calling Tren de Aragua one of the most bloodthirsty terrorist organisations on earth.
Trump said the strike brought retribution for victims including 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray and 22-year-old Laken Riley, citing his earlier pledge to designate Tren de Aragua a Foreign Terrorist Organisation.
Trump said the strike was coordinated with Venezuela, adding that under his leadership the US will find these criminals "anytime, anyplace" and that the gang no longer has safe haven anywhere.
Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as Niño Guerrero, was the co-founder and head of Tren de Aragua, designated one of the world's most wanted fugitives by multiple governments and law enforcement agencies.
Guerrero, 42, ran Tren de Aragua from Tocorón prison before escaping. Under him the gang expanded across Latin America and the US. Washington had placed a $5 million bounty on his head.
With 7,000 members across South America and the US, Tren de Aragua was designated a terrorist organisation by the US in February 2025. Ecuador, Argentina, Peru, Canada and Trinidad and Tobago followed suit.