Trump says US strike killed Tren de Aragua gang boss with Venezuelan help

US forces, at the direction of President Trump, conducted a kinetic strike that killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, an infamous leader of the Tren de Aragua gang. The operation, which occurred earlier in the week in Venezuela's southeastern state of Bolivar, was carried out in collaboration with the Venezuelan government. Venezuela confirmed its participation, stating Flores was killed during clashes with criminal groups. The US Defense Secretary highlighted the shared commitment to combatting narco-terrorists. Tren de Aragua, which originated from a Venezuelan prison, controls a vast criminal network and has been labeled a terrorist organization by the US and several other countries. Flores had reportedly controlled the syndicate from Venezuela for years.

Former President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. military, under his direction, conducted a strike that killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, a leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. The operation, carried out by the U.S. Southern Command, was reportedly coordinated with Venezuela. Tren de Aragua has been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., and Guerrero Flores was facing federal charges in New York for racketeering conspiracy and other crimes. The U.S. State Department had offered a reward for information leading to his arrest, citing the gang's involvement in violence, extortion, and drug trafficking across multiple continents. Trump also used the announcement to criticize President Biden's border policies.

President Donald Trump announced that a U.S. military strike killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, identified as the leader of the Tren de Aragua gang. The strike, described as "swift and lethal kinetic," occurred earlier in the week on a Tren de Aragua compound in Venezuela. The U.S. has designated Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organization, and Guerrero Flores was charged in a New York federal court with racketeering conspiracy and supporting terrorists. The operation is presented as a shared commitment between the U.S. and Venezuela to combat narco-terrorists. Tren de Aragua originated in a Venezuelan prison and has expanded as Venezuelan migration increased.