Trump Announces U.S. Strike Killing Tren de Aragua Leader

President Donald Trump announced on June 12, 2026, that a lethal kinetic strike executed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, the leader of the Tren de Aragua gang. The operation, carried out by the United States Southern Command, targeted a gang compound in the southeastern state of Bolivar, Venezuela. Some reports specify the strike occurred at the Brisas del Kuyuni mine in Las Claritas. While announced on Friday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed the strike actually took place earlier in the week, possibly as early as June 9.

The mission was a joint effort coordinated with the Venezuelan government, currently led by acting president Delcy Rodriguez following the January removal of Nicolas Maduro. This cooperation included bilateral intelligence-sharing and technical support from the CIA. The U.S. government had designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization in February 2025, and Guerrero Flores was a wanted fugitive charged in New York with racketeering conspiracy and supporting terrorists, carrying a $5 million State Department reward.

Trump framed the strike as retribution for victims of the gang and as part of a broader campaign against narco-terrorists, which has reportedly killed over 200 people in the Caribbean and Pacific since September. Legal experts and human rights groups have criticized these actions as extrajudicial killings. The operation signals a strategic realignment in U.S.-Venezuela relations, potentially facilitating foreign investment in the region's oil and mining sectors.