President Donald Trump confirmed a U.S. military operation resulted in the death of Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, leader of the Tren de Aragua gang. This gang, labeled a terrorist organization by the U.S., faced action described by Trump as a ‘swift and lethal kinetic’ strike.
In December, Guerrero Flores faced charges in a New York federal court for racketeering conspiracy and other offenses. These involved providing support to terrorism and engaging in criminal activities over an extended period. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth revealed the strike on a gang compound in Venezuela occurred earlier in the week.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton highlighted the gang’s responsibility for numerous violent acts, extortion, and drug trafficking across North and South America and Europe. Clayton has since been nominated by Trump to become the director of national intelligence.
The U.S. State Department previously offered rewards up to $5 million for information leading to Guerrero Flores’ arrest. On social media, Trump declared that under his leadership, Tren de Aragua would find no safe haven.
“Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else,” Trump stated. “We will find these vicious murderers and drug lords anytime, anyplace, and send them to the depths of hell where they belong.”
The operation was documented with a video showing the destruction of a small building. Hegseth mentioned the U.S. and Venezuela’s shared commitment to combat narco-terrorists.
Venezuela’s ministry of communications did not immediately comment on the operation. Trump’s administration has led several strikes against boats accused of drug smuggling. These efforts have resulted in over 200 casualties in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean since early September.
Tren de Aragua has often been blamed by Trump for urban violence and drug issues in the U.S. Although a declassified intelligence report contradicted Trump’s claims of the gang operating under Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Maduro was removed from Venezuela for U.S. drug charges in January.
Founded over a decade ago at a notorious prison in Venezuela’s Aragua state, the gang capitalized on the country’s crisis. Guerrero Flores, who returned to prison in 2013, seized control, establishing a system of extortion and force. They converted the prison into a small city, complete with amenities like a zoo, casino, and restaurants.
The extent of the gang’s reach remains uncertain, but countries like Peru and Colombia link them to regional violence. Unlike other groups, Tren de Aragua does not heavily engage in international cocaine smuggling.
Trump’s campaign for a second term targets immigration and crime, with immigration being one of his strongest issues according to public opinion polls.