US President Donald Trump has claimed that the US military has killed Nino Guerrero, one of the most wanted crime leaders from Venezuela and the head of the powerful Tren De Aragua gang. The announcement was made on his social media platform Truth Social, where he also shared a video of the strike on a compound where Guerrero was believed to be hiding.
Trump said the operation was carried out by the United States Southern Command and described it as a “swift and lethal” strike. He called Tren De Aragua one of the most dangerous criminal groups in the world and said the action was part of his broader crackdown on international crime networks.
Who was Nino Guerrero?
Nino Guerrero, whose real name was Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, was born on May 30, 1983, in Maracay, Venezuela. He rose from being a small-time criminal to the leader of Tren De Aragua, a gang that later became a major transnational crime syndicate.
Guerrero spent several years inside Tocoron Prison in Venezuela, where he built his power base. From inside the prison, he allegedly controlled criminal operations, expanded his gang’s influence, and even took control of parts of the prison system. Authorities say he was involved in extortion, bribery, and running illegal operations including gold mining, drug trafficking, and smuggling routes along the Venezuela-Colombia border.
How did he turn Tren De Aragua into a global threat?
Under Guerrero’s leadership, Tren De Aragua grew from a prison gang into an international criminal network. The group was involved in drug trafficking, human smuggling, arms trade, and money laundering using cryptocurrency.
According to US authorities, Guerrero worked closely with other criminal groups, including cartel networks, and was accused in 2025 of directing acts of violence and terrorism linked to operations in the United States. The US Department of Justice had announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to his capture.
Why was he a top target for the US?
The Trump administration had earlier declared Tren De Aragua a Foreign Terrorist Organization, making its dismantling a key security priority. Trump accused the group of spreading violence across borders and targeting American citizens.
First published on: Jun 13, 2026 07:58 AM IST
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