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US military kills Tren de Aragua gang leader Nino Guerrero in Venezuela airstrike at Trump's direction The United States military has killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores — known as Nino Guerrero — the leader of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, in a joint airstrike on his compound in southeastern Venezuela's Bolivar state. President Trump announced the killing on Truth Social on Friday, saying he personally directed the United States Southern Command to carry out the strike. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike took place earlier in the week. Venezuela's government also confirmed the operation, describing it as a combined effort involving intelligence sharing and specialised technical support from the CIA. Guerrero had transformed Tren de Aragua from a Venezuelan prison gang into a transnational terrorist organisation with operations across Latin America, the United States and Europe. The US State Department had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to his capture. He was indicted in New York in December 2025 on charges of ordering and facilitating acts of terrorism and violence across the United States.

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