President Donald Trump has confirmed that the United States military successfully eliminated Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as Niño Guerrero, in a targeted airstrike. Operating under US Southern Command, the kinetic strike destroyed a compound linked to the leader of the Tren de Aragua gang. The administration designated the group a foreign terrorist organization engaged in irregular warfare against American interests.
Venezuelan authorities described the mission as a joint operation, signaling continued security cooperation with the Delcy Rodríguez administration. This partnership follows the January seizure of former President Nicolás Maduro and the subsequent lifting of sanctions to facilitate oil extraction. Guerrero Flores had been named a co-conspirator in the indictment against Maduro for alleged collaboration with the cartel.
Under Guerrero’s command, Tren de Aragua evolved from a prison gang into a transnational criminal enterprise operating across eight countries. The organization diversified beyond extortion into sex trafficking, contract killing, and controlling strategic gold mines and drug corridors. Guerrero previously transformed Venezuela's Tocorón Prison into a luxury complex before escaping during a massive military raid in 2023.
The strike represents the latest action in a campaign that has resulted in over 200 casualties since September. While legal experts have raised concerns regarding due process and international law, the White House maintains these operations are lawful. The administration asserts that the US is in a formal armed conflict with drug cartels, classifying their operatives as combatants rather than civilians.