US kills leader of Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang in airstrike, Trump says

June 13, 2026

President Donald Trump announced that the US military killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as Niño Guerrero, the leader of Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang, in a coordinated airstrike with Venezuelan authorities. Guerrero had transformed what began as a prison gang into a major transnational criminal organization operating across multiple Latin American countries and involved in sex trafficking, contract killing, and kidnapping. The strike follows the US seizure of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January and represents part of a broader military campaign that has reportedly killed over 200 people since September in operations targeting alleged drug trafficking networks.

Who is affected

Niño Guerrero (Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores), the killed gang leader
Tren de Aragua gang members and operations across Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and the United States
Over 200 people killed in US strikes since September
Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (seized in January)
Current Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodríguez
Migrants, victims of sex trafficking, kidnapping, and contract killings conducted by the gang
Local criminal organizations partnered with Tren de Aragua (including groups affiliated with Mexico's Sinaloa cartel and Colombia's ELN)

What action is being taken

US Southern Command is conducting airstrikes against Tren de Aragua targets in coordination with Venezuelan authorities
The Trump administration is launching dozens of strikes on boats allegedly involved in drug trafficking operations
The US is working to tighten ties with Venezuela's current leadership under Delcy Rodríguez
The US is pushing to collaborate with Venezuela on oil extraction

Why it matters

This operation represents a significant escalation in US military intervention against criminal organizations, with the Trump administration treating drug cartels as formal armed combatants rather than criminals subject to law enforcement processes. The killing of a major gang leader demonstrates the extent of military force being applied to combat transnational crime, though it raises serious legal and ethical questions about targeting individuals without due process. The shift also marks a dramatic change in US-Venezuela relations, moving from confrontation with Maduro to cooperation with his successor, potentially affecting regional security dynamics, international law precedents, and how nations address organized crime.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC