• US military claims successful strike on Niño Guerrero, leader of Tren de Aragua gang.
• The strike was coordinated with the Venezuelan government, targeting a compound in Venezuela.
• Tren de Aragua has been designated by the US as a terrorist organization, involved in drug trafficking and violence.
• President Trump describes the operation as part of a broader commitment to combat narco-terrorism.

President Donald Trump announced that US forces have killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias Niño Guerrero, the leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, in a military strike. This strike, described as "swift and lethal," was conducted by the United States Southern Command at Trump's direction and was closely coordinated with the Venezuelan government, Trump reported on his social media platform, Truth Social. He declared, "Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else," emphasizing the seriousness of the operation to ensure the gang's demise, according to CBS News, SCMP, and Reuters.

Guerrero has long been a high-priority target for US authorities, being charged with multiple offenses including racketeering and supporting terrorism in a New York federal court. The US State Department classified Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organization due to its notorious criminal activities, which encompass violence, extortion, and drug trafficking across international borders. "This action was coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela," Trump reiterated, highlighting the operational partnership, according to LA Times, NPR, and India Times.

The operation is part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration to combat what it perceives as the growing threat from Tren de Aragua. Trump highlighted the significance of this strike in his efforts to "deny them any safe haven in our hemisphere." Furthermore, he has been vocal about the impact of such gangs on US communities and immigration policy, seeking to link their activities to violence in US cities, as reported by BBC and Al Jazeera.