US strike killed leader of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, Trump says

President Donald Trump announced Friday that a "swift and lethal kinetic" U.S. strike eliminated Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, identified as the "infamous leader" of the Tren de Aragua gang. The United States has designated this organization as a terrorist group.

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Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else and, under my leadership, we will find these vicious murderers and drug lords anytime, anyplace, and send them to the depths of hell where they belong.

Guerrero Flores had been charged in a New York federal court with racketeering conspiracy and other crimes, including supporting terrorists over more than a decade. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed on X that the strike took place earlier in the week at a Tren de Aragua compound in Venezuela.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton stated that the gang is responsible for numerous acts of violence, extortion, and drug trafficking across North America, South America, and Europe. The U.S. State Department had offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Guerrero Flores' arrest.

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The operation underscores the shared US and Venezuelan commitment to take the fight to narco-terrorists and deny them any safe haven in our hemisphere.

Trump posted on his social media site, vowing that "Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else." He added, "under my leadership, we will find these vicious murderers and drug lords anytime, anyplace, and send them to the depths of hell where they belong." The post referred to Guerrero Flores by his alias, "Niño Guerrero."

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At my direction, the United States Southern Command delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike to successfully execute Niño Guerrero, the infamous leader of Tren De Aragua, one of the most bloodthirsty Terrorist Organizations on Planet Earth.