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Washington: US President Donald Trump on Friday said American forces had carried out a military strike that killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, widely known as Niño Guerrero, the leader of Venezuela’s feared Tren de Aragua gang.

The operation was reportedly conducted in coordination with Venezuelan authorities and targeted one of the most wanted criminal figures in Latin America.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the strike was ordered by him and carried out by the US Southern Command.

“At my direction, the United States Southern Command delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike to successfully execute Nino Guerrero the infamous leader of Tren De Aragua, one of the most bloodthirsty Terrorist Organizations on Planet,” Trump wrote.

He added, “This action was coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela, with whom we are working very well.”

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth later confirmed that the strike had taken place earlier in the week and that Guerrero had been killed during the operation.

According to Venezuelan authorities, security forces clashed with members of criminal groups during the mission, resulting in Guerrero being “neutralised”. Officials said the operation relied on intelligence-sharing and specialised technological support between the two countries.

Guerrero led Tren de Aragua, a criminal organisation that originated in a Venezuelan prison and later expanded across Latin America. The group has been linked to human trafficking, extortion, kidnapping, money laundering, contract killings, smuggling and organised retail theft. Authorities say its operations stretched from Panama and Brazil to other parts of South America.

The US government has designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organisation and previously imposed sanctions on Guerrero and other gang leaders over alleged involvement in drug trafficking, human trafficking and money laundering.

Guerrero became one of Venezuela’s most wanted fugitives after escaping from the Tocorón prison ahead of a major police raid in 2023. Since then, authorities across the region have intensified efforts to dismantle the gang’s network.