Trump Claims US Airstrike Killed Venezuelan Gang Leader Niño Guerrero

Sat Jun 13 2026 13:31:19 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

US forces reportedly struck the Tren de Aragua gang’s leader in a joint Venezuelan‑US operation, as announced by President Trump amid continued tensions over drug trafficking.

President Donald Trump announced that U.S. military forces carried out an airstrike that killed Héctor Rusthenford “Niño Guerrero” Flores, long‑time boss of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang. The strike was said to be part of a joint operation with Venezuelan authorities and follows earlier U.S. actions against the group’s drug‑trafficking activities. The move raises legal questions about the use of force in drug enforcement, as critics dispute whether the targeted sites were legitimate criminal operations or civilian properties. Trump frames the operation as a response to the gang’s role in illicit trafficking and as a decisive counter‑terrorism measure. Despite calls for transparency, details such as confirmation of weaponized goods on the attacked vessels remain unverified.

Trump Claims US Airstrike Killed Venezuelan Gang Leader Niño Guerrero

Trump posts footage of alleged airstrike

President Donald Trump has announced that U.S. forces carried out an airstrike in Venezuela that killed Héctor Rusthenford “Niño Guerrero” Flores, the notorious leader of the Tren de Aragua gang. The announcement appeared in a short post on Truth Social in which Trump described the operation as “swift and lethal” and said it was “coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela.”

Tren de Aragua, one of Latin America’s most violent criminal organizations, has been a primary target of Trump’s administration for its involvement in drug trafficking, kidnapping, and contract killings across multiple countries. Guerrero, whose full name is Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, had been at the helm of the gang’s expansion beyond Venezuelan borders, controlling gold mines, drug corridors, and border crossings with Colombia.

The Venezuelan government confirmed its role in the operation, calling it a “joint operation.” This follows a broader U.S. strategy that includes seizing Venezuela’s oil reserves and lifting sanctions on President Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s successor, to foster closer military cooperation.

The U.S. administration’s campaign against Tren de Aragua has also targeted boats believed to be moving drugs into the United States. Since September, more than 200 people have been killed in drone strikes on such vessels, though the government has not released evidence that the boats were carrying narcotics, prompting criticism over the legality and transparency of these strikes.

Legal experts contend that the alleged strikes could breach international law by attacking potentially civilian structures without due process. Trump’s government maintains that they are legitimate acts of war, asserting that the U.S. is in a formal armed conflict with drug cartels and that the targeted crews are combatants.

The death of Niño Guerrero marks a significant blow to Tren de Aragua’s leadership, but the gang’s network extends into at least eight other countries and remains intertwined with local criminal outfits — from associations with Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel in Ecuador to alleged ties with Colombia’s ELN guerrillas.