“Under my directive, the United States Southern Command executed a rapid and lethal kinetic strike to successfully eliminate Nino Guerrero, the notorious leader of Tren De Aragua, one of the most ruthless Terrorist Organizations on Earth,” Trump stated in a post on Truth Social Friday evening.
“This operation was closely coordinated with our allies in Venezuela, with whom we are collaborating effectively.”
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth shared on X that the strike took place earlier this week and confirmed that Guerrero “was killed during the operation.”
Venezuela’s information ministry reported that clashes occurred with members of criminal organizations during the operation, resulting in Guerrero being neutralized.
The operation involved advanced technological support and was performed through collaboration and intelligence-sharing between authorities from both nations, according to the ministry.
The Trump administration has consistently targeted Guerrero and other leaders of the Tren de Aragua organization with sanctions due to their alleged involvement in criminal activities such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, and money laundering.
The State Department has classified Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization.
Trump has suggested that Tren de Aragua coordinated its activities in the U.S. with the Venezuelan government under President Nicolás Maduro. This alleged connection has been cited by the Trump administration as a justification for deporting certain immigrants in the U.S. to a high-security prison in El Salvador.
Tren de Aragua is recognized for its involvement in human trafficking and controls migration routes for Venezuelans and other South American migrants heading toward more prosperous nations like Chile or other destinations in South America and Europe.
The group has also been tied to extortion, kidnapping, money laundering, contract killings, smuggling, and organized retail theft from Panama to Brazil along the Andean corridor, according to Latin American police officials.
Guerrero escaped from Tocoron prison in Venezuela alongside other gang leaders just prior to a police raid in 2023.
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