Trump Announces U.S. Strike Kills Leader of Venezuelan Crime Group

President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces have killed the leader of the Venezuelan crime syndicate Tren de Aragua, describing the operation as a swift and lethal military strike. Trump stated on his social media platform, Truth Social, that the U.S. Southern Command successfully eliminated Niño Guerrero, identified as the head of one of the most brutal terrorist organizations globally.

A 10-second video accompanying Trump's post showed a building exploding following a U.S. military strike. "Tren de Aragua members will no longer have a safe haven anywhere, including Venezuela," Trump declared. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed Guerrero's death resulted from an attack on the organization's bases within Venezuela.

The Tren de Aragua syndicate has expanded its reach from Venezuela across Central and South America. Guerrero is credited with transforming the organization into a multinational criminal enterprise with operations in Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Ecuador. The group is involved in various crimes, including human trafficking and drug smuggling, to generate revenue.

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U.S. Southern Command successfully eliminated Niño Guerrero, one of the most brutal terrorist organizations on Earth, through a swift and lethal military strike.

Since taking office, Trump has strongly criticized criminal organizations like Tren de Aragua for their role in flooding the U.S. with drugs. The U.S. State Department designated Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) in February of the previous year. Since then, the U.S. military has conducted dozens of airstrikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels linked to the organization, resulting in over 200 deaths since September of last year, according to the BBC.

Trump indicated that this operation was conducted in cooperation with Venezuela. The Venezuelan government separately confirmed that both nations exchanged intelligence and military support for the operation. This collaboration has reportedly intensified following the ousting of former anti-American President Nicolás Maduro in January.

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Tren de Aragua members will no longer have a safe haven anywhere, including Venezuela.