Tren de Aragua Leader Killed in Joint US-Venezuela Operation. US and Venezuelan authorities conducted a joint operation against Tren de Aragua. As a result, Niño Guerrero, one of the region's most wanted criminals, was killed. The operation took place in southeastern Venezuela.
On Friday night, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the elimination of Niño Guerrero, leader of one of Latin America's most dangerous criminal organizations — Tren de Aragua. According to Trump, the operation was carried out by the U.S. Southern Command in close cooperation with Venezuelan authorities. The operation took place in the state of Bolívar in southeastern Venezuela, where, according to official reports, the notorious crime boss was killed.
The operation came three days after Venezuelan military helicopters entered the Las Claritas area, known for illegal mining and control by Tren de Aragua. Videos from the scene quickly spread on social media, sparking a wave of rumors about the reasons and goals of the raid. In the absence of official comments, there were theories about attempts to regain control over local mines of interest to foreign companies.
Shortly after Trump's announcement, the Venezuelan government confirmed the joint operation with the U.S. An official statement noted that as a result, the structures of organized crime operating in the region were dismantled. At the same time, according to Venezuelan sources, U.S. forces did not cross the country's border — cooperation was limited to intelligence sharing and technological support.
During clashes with armed groups, Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as Niño Guerrero, was killed. Venezuelan authorities emphasized that the operation was made possible thanks to information sharing and technical assistance from the US. In his statement, Donald Trump separately noted that the actions were coordinated with the Venezuelan leadership and declared his intention to continue combating transnational criminal groups.
Tren de Aragua is considered the largest and most influential criminal organization in Venezuela, with a sprawling network in several countries across the region. For many years, Niño Guerrero controlled the Tocorón prison, turning it into the group's command center. After a large-scale operation by Venezuelan security forces in 2023, his whereabouts remained unknown.
According to open sources, this is not the first time the US has coordinated actions against criminal structures in Latin America. In recent years, similar operations have been carried out in Ecuador and Guatemala. US authorities emphasize that the fight against such groups is one of the priorities of their foreign policy, especially after Tren de Aragua was designated a terrorist organization. In the context of Spain, it is worth noting that the activities of Latin American criminal networks are increasingly affecting European countries, including Spain, where cases of their members entering and influencing the criminal market have been recorded.
