National Defense

Trump Announces U.S. Airstrikes Killed Tren De Aragua Leader

Image not from story. [Wikimedia Commons/Public/U.S. Army photo by Capt. Frank Spatt]

President Donald Trump announced Friday the U.S. military had eliminated the alleged leader of the notorious Tren de Aragua terrorist group.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that U.S. Southern Command killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as Niño Guerrero, through a “swift and lethal kinetic strike.” The mission was “closely coordinated” with the Venezuelan government, highlighting a major shift since the capture of former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.

“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,” Trump stated. “Before I returned to office, Joe Biden opened our Southern Border to millions of Illegal Criminals, and allowed this foreign army to rape, maim, and murder American Citizens with total impunity. During my Campaign, I pledged to expel these monsters from our Country, and bring Justice to the families of those they slaughtered, including the precious 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, 22-year-old Laken Reilly, and countless other beautiful souls. With this action, the United States Military has brought retribution for them, their families, and their loved ones.”

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said the strikes took place in the days preceding the president’s announcement, and that the operation underscored “the shared U.S. and Venezuelan commitment to take the fight to narco-terrorists and deny them any safe haven in our hemisphere.”

“Earlier this week, the @DeptofWar— in full collaboration with Venezuelan security forces — conducted a kinetic strike on a Tren de Aragua (TdA) compound in Venezuela,” Hegseth said. “TdA founder & leader Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, aka ‘Niño Guerrero,’ was confirmed killed during the strike. The operation underscores the shared U.S. and Venezuelan commitment to take the fight to narco-terrorists and deny them any safe haven in our hemisphere.”

Earlier this week, the @DeptofWar — in full collaboration with Venezuelan security forces — conducted a kinetic strike on a Tren de Aragua (TdA) compound in Venezuela. TdA founder & leader Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, aka “Niño Guerrero,” was confirmed killed during the…

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) June 13, 2026

Trump’s post to Truth Social included a video of an unspecified projectile — presumably a targeted munition — striking a building and causing it to go up in flames.

U.S. Southern Command stated Guerrero Flores was a “wanted fugitive.” The U.S. Southern District of New York indicted him in 2025 on charges that included racketeering, conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, and cocaine conspiracy. The State Department offered up to a $5 million award for information leading to his capture.

The indictment alleged Guerrero Flores spearheaded a criminal enterprise which trafficked drugs and people. He was also accused of extorting local populations and committing acts of violence. He allegedly ran his operation out of Tocorón Prison by directing gang members on the outside and collecting a fee from their actions.

Guerrero Flores allegedly “lived like a king” during his time in the prison, BBC News reported.

The strikes came five months after the U.S. captured and charged Maduro on drug trafficking and narco-terrorism crimes. The indictment charged Guerrero Flores as a co-conspirator.

Trump designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization on the first day of his second term in January 2025. Jose Ibarra, the convicted killer of American nursing student Laken Riley, had ties to Tren de Aragua, as were the alleged killers of another American, 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray.