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Explosion following a strike carried out by U.S. forces that killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as "Nino Guerrero," the leader of Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua, at an unidentified location, in this screengrab taken from a video released on June 12, 2026. @realDonaldTrump via Truth Social/Handout via Reuters
President Donald Trump announced Friday that a U.S. military strike had killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as Niño Guerrero, the infamous leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
“Early in my Administration, I delivered on my promise to designate Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, deport thousands of evil criminals, and wage war against the Cartels, who have long been waging war against our Citizens, while weak leaders left America helpless and defensive,” the president posted on Truth Social. “This action was coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela, with whom we are working very well.”
U.S. law enforcement and sanctions efforts have targeted Tren de Aragua due to its role in drug trafficking, extortion, violence, and other crimes across the Americas, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
The group was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States in January 2025, and the strike represents a significant step in the administration’s campaign to disrupt such networks operating in the United States and abroad.
U.S. authorities identified Guerrero Flores as the leader of Tren de Aragua and say he is responsible for transforming Tren de Aragua from a prison gang operating inside Venezuela’s Tocorón penitentiary into a larger international criminal organization.
The U.S. Department of State had been offering a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Guerrero Flores.
In July 2025, the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Guerrero Flores, as well as five other individuals identified as key leaders or affiliates of the group.
“The Trump Administration will not allow Tren de Aragua to continue to terrorize our communities and harm innocent Americans,“ Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement at the time. “In line with President Trump’s mandate to Make America Safe Again, Treasury remains dedicated to dismantling Tren de Aragua and disrupting the group’s campaign of violence.”
Since his return to office, Trump has made a priority of disrupting Tren de Aragua, which the State Department notes is involved in illicit drug trade, migrant smuggling, human trafficking, extortion, sexual exploitation of women and children, and money laundering, and more.
U.S. military forces have targeted vessels in the southern Caribbean that officials said were operated by Tren de Aragua members transporting narcotics, using kinetic measures against the organization’s maritime drug trafficking routes.
Kimberly Hayek is a reporter for The Epoch Times. She covers California news and has worked as an editor and on scene at the U.S.-Mexico border during the 2018 migrant caravan crisis.
