U.S. Strike Kills Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, Leader of Tren de Aragua

President Donald Trump announced a successful U.S. operation had resulted in the death of Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores. Identified as the leader of the gang Tren de Aragua, Guerrero Flores was considered a notorious figure by U.S. authorities. This group, designated as a terrorist organization by Washington, has a long history of criminal activities which include violence, extortion, and drug trafficking across North America, South America, and Europe.

Federal prosecutor Jay Clayton highlighted the group’s responsibility in various violent acts. Recently nominated by Trump to become the Director of National Intelligence, Clayton’s observations underline the severity of their crimes. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth disclosed on social media that the operation had occurred at a Tren de Aragua compound in Venezuela.

In a statement from Caracas, acting President Delcy Rodríguez confirmed Guerrero Flores’s death. The operation, a joint effort between Venezuelan and U.S. security agencies, targeted organized crime networks in the southwest region of Bolívar state. Skirmishes during the mission led to Guerrero Flores being neutralized, explained a statement from the Ministry of Communication and Information. The operation utilized advanced technology and involved intelligence sharing between the two nations.

The U.S. Department of State had previously offered rewards for information leading to Guerrero Flores’s capture, reflecting the high priority placed on dismantling this criminal network. On Truth Social, Trump emphasized a determination to eliminate Tren de Aragua’s influence, declaring that under his leadership, members of the gang would be relentlessly pursued.

“There is no safe refuge for Tren de Aragua terrorists,” wrote Trump. “We will find and bring them to justice.”

A video accompanying Trump’s post showed an aerial view of an explosive strike on a building believed to be a gang hideout, demonstrating the joint commitment of the U.S. and Venezuela to deny drug terrorists sanctuary in the hemisphere.

The Venezuelan Ministry of Communications did not provide comments on the event. The Trump administration has launched numerous operations against drug-trafficking vessels since September 2025, resulting in many fatalities. These forceful actions target what his government termed “narcoterrorists,” with the Tren de Aragua frequently accused of exacerbating violence and illegal drug trafficking in the U.S.

The gang’s activities reportedly began over a decade ago in a notorious Venezuelan prison. Guerrero Flores and associates capitalized on government negligence to seize control of the facility. Transforming it into a self-contained settlement, they established various amenities, asserting dominance over the prison populace. The gang later extended its reach following a mass emigration of Venezuelans to neighboring countries and the U.S.

Guerrero Flores was imprisoned but leveraged prison chaos to build the gang’s empire. Despite accusations linking the group to widespread violence, InSight Crime maintains that Tren de Aragua does not engage in large-scale cocaine trafficking like some other regional criminal entities.

Trump’s firm stance on immigration and crime remains a focal point of his political agenda as he seeks reelection. Despite criticism of his economic policies, his tough approach to immigration is a strong appeal to his support base, according to the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Regina García Cano in Mexico City and Jorge Rueda in Caracas contributed reporting to this story.