Trump Announces Execution of Tren de Aragua Leader Hector Flores
President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Venezuelan gang leader Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as “Niño,” was killed in a military operation that U.S. officials described as a joint effort targeting the transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua.
Trump said the operation was conducted with support from Venezuela and involved U.S. Southern Command. The president characterized the mission as part of his administration’s broader campaign against cartels and criminal organizations operating throughout the Western Hemisphere.
In a statement posted on social media, Trump described Tren de Aragua as one of the world’s most dangerous terrorist organizations and said the operation eliminated a key figure responsible for violence, extortion and drug trafficking across multiple countries.
“Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else,” Trump wrote, adding that his administration would continue pursuing cartel leaders and criminal organizations wherever they operate.
The Pentagon did not immediately release additional details about the operation beyond the president’s announcement. Defense officials also did not provide information about the location of the strike, the number of casualties or the specific military assets involved.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised the operation and said it demonstrated growing cooperation between the United States and regional partners.
“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,” Hegseth said in a statement.
Guerrero Flores had been one of the most wanted leaders associated with Tren de Aragua. Federal prosecutors in New York charged him in 2025 with racketeering conspiracy and other offenses tied to the gang’s alleged criminal activities.
Authorities accused the organization of engaging in violence, extortion, human trafficking and other crimes across North America, South America and parts of Europe.
The State Department had previously offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Guerrero Flores’ arrest.
The operation marks the latest escalation in the administration’s campaign against international criminal organizations. Earlier in Trump’s second term, the administration designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization and expanded military and law enforcement operations targeting drug trafficking networks.
Trump has repeatedly argued that criminal groups operating from Latin America pose a major threat to U.S. national security and has linked the organizations to violent crimes committed within the United States.
In announcing the operation, Trump referenced several high-profile crimes involving undocumented migrants and said the administration was acting on behalf of victims and their families.
Tren de Aragua originated more than a decade ago inside a Venezuelan prison and expanded rapidly as millions of Venezuelans migrated throughout the region. Law enforcement agencies in several countries have accused the organization of carrying out kidnappings, extortion schemes and violent attacks, per the Daily Mail.
Analysts have noted that while the gang has become one of the most recognizable criminal organizations in Latin America, its exact size and structure remain difficult to determine.
The reported operation comes amid broader efforts by the administration to strengthen partnerships with foreign governments in combating transnational crime and narcotics trafficking.
U.S. officials said cooperation with regional allies will continue as authorities seek to dismantle criminal organizations operating across international borders.
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