Trump says US strike killed Tren de Aragua gang boss with Venezuelan help
Key takeaways
- Gang leader Flores had controlled the vast criminal syndicate from Venezuela for years.
- Trump added that the operation was in collaboration with Venezuela.
- In a statement, Venezuela’s government confirmed it participated in the operation in the southeastern state of Bolivar, stating that Flores was killed during “clashes with members of criminal groups”.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Gang leader Flores had controlled the vast criminal syndicate from Venezuela for years.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo. An explosion follows what US President Donald Trump said was a strike carried out by United States forces that killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as 'Nino Guerrero', the leader of Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, at an unidentified location, in this screengrab taken from a video released on June 12, 2026 [Donald Trump via Truth Social /Handout via Reuters]By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and APPublished On 13 Jun 202613 Jun 2026President Donald Trump has said US forces have killed an “infamous leader” of Tren De Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that the administration has branded a global “terrorist” organisation and drug-smuggling cartel.
“At my direction, the United States Southern Command delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike to successfully execute Niño Guerrero,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social website late on Friday, referring to gang leader Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores.