US President Donald Trump announced that American forces successfully eliminated Hector Guerrero Flores, the leader and co-founder of the Tren de Aragua criminal syndicate. The operation, described as a "swift and lethal kinetic strike," was conducted by US Southern Command earlier this week within a compound in Venezuela.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike occurred in full collaboration with Venezuelan security forces. The announcement included unclassified video footage depicting an explosion at a building with a green roof, marking the physical conclusion to a high-profile manhunt.
The National Counterterrorism Center designates Tren de Aragua as a transnational network rooted in Venezuela’s Tocorón Prison, with between 2,500 and 5,000 members involved in kidnapping, extortion, and drug trafficking. Since February 2025, the group has been classified as a foreign terrorist organization by the United States.
Flores faced charges in Manhattan federal court for orchestrating acts of terrorism across borders. US authorities had previously offered up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest, citing his role in laundering money through cryptocurrency and trafficking drugs on a massive scale.
This operation marks a significant escalation in US efforts to dismantle organized crime networks operating out of South America, directly targeting the financial and operational leadership of one of the hemisphere's most dangerous gangs.