Key facts
- President Donald Trump announced U.S. forces killed Hector Guerrero Flores, leader of the Tren de Aragua gang.
- The strike was described as a "swift and lethal kinetic strike" by U.S. Southern Command.
- The operation targeted a Tren de Aragua compound in Venezuela.
- U.S. forces collaborated with Venezuelan security forces on the operation.
- Guerrero Flores was indicted in a Manhattan federal court on terrorism and violence charges.
- The U.S. Department of State had offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Flores' arrest.
President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces conducted a "swift and lethal kinetic strike" that killed Hector Guerrero Flores, the leader and cofounder of the Tren de Aragua gang, which he described as "one of the most bloodthirsty terrorist organizations on planet Earth."
The strike, carried out by U.S. Southern Command, targeted a Tren de Aragua compound in Venezuela and occurred earlier this week, according to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. Hegseth stated that U.S. forces worked in "full collaboration with Venezuelan security forces."
The Tren de Aragua, which has roots in Venezuela's Tocorón Prison, is described by the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center as a transnational gang network with an estimated 2,500 to 5,000 members involved in kidnappings, extortion, human and drug trafficking. It has been designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. since February 2025.
Flores had been charged in a Manhattan federal court in December with ordering, directing, and facilitating acts of terrorism and violence in the U.S. The U.S. State Department had offered rewards of up to $5 million for information leading to his arrest, with former U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton calling Flores the "mastermind" behind the gang's growth.