President Donald Trump announced that a U.S. strike has resulted in the death of Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, leader of the Tren de Aragua gang. This organization is considered a terrorist group by the United States.
Guerrero Flores faced charges in a New York federal court for racketeering conspiracy and aiding terrorist activities, spanning over a decade. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the strike took place earlier this week on a compound in Venezuela controlled by Tren de Aragua.
U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton remarked that the gang is linked to numerous violent acts, extortion, and drug trafficking in North America, South America, and Europe. Clayton was recently nominated by Trump for the position of director of national intelligence. A reward of up to $5 million was previously offered for information leading to Guerrero Flores’ capture.
In a social media message, Trump declared that Tren de Aragua no longer has any refuge, emphasizing his commitment to confront terrorists and criminals. The post included a video showing the explosion of a building related to the gang. Hegseth mentioned the cooperative effort between the U.S. and Venezuela to address narco-terrorism in the region.
No immediate response was received from Venezuela’s ministry of communications regarding the operation. The Trump administration has actively targeted the gang, including strikes on vessels involved in drug smuggling. To date, U.S. military actions in the Pacific and Caribbean have resulted in the deaths of at least 207 individuals connected to narcoterrorist activities.
The Tren de Aragua gang emerged from a notorious prison in Venezuela’s Aragua state, known for its criminal inmates. Guerrero Flores returned to this prison in 2013 amidst Venezuela’s economic crisis due to corruption and falling oil prices. He and fellow inmates took control, managing the prison through force and extortion, transforming it into a self-sufficient community with various amenities.
The gang’s exact size remains unknown, but countries like Peru and Colombia have attributed regional violence to them, although their involvement in cocaine smuggling is not expansive according to InSight Crime.
Guerrero Flores’ leadership and criminal activities have drawn global attention, yet the gang’s primary influence remains within Venezuela, engaging in multiple illegal operations, including gold mining. President Trump, while campaigning for a second term, continues to prioritize tackling immigration and crime despite varying public opinion on his economic policies according to the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
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