US operation kills Venezuelan Tren de Aragua leader Niño Guerrero

The United States confirmed that a joint military operation with Venezuela eliminated Niño Guerrero, the head of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, on Friday night. The strike, described by the Pentagon as sending “a clear message to Latin America,” was called “quick and lethal” by President Donald Trump on Truth Social.

Tren de Aragua, designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department, is involved in kidnapping, drug trafficking, human trafficking and other crimes across Colombia, Peru and Chile. The U.S. offered a $5 million reward for information leading to the leader’s capture. Venezuelan authorities said the operation took place in the Bolívar state and involved “specialized technological support and intelligence sharing.”

The action follows a series of U.S. moves targeting the group, including a January raid that led to former President Nicolás Maduro’s arrest in New York and the labeling of the gang as a terror group earlier this year.