Tren de Aragua leader's death sparks succession scramble and US bounty hunt

Héctor Guerrero Flores, alias “Niño Guerrero”, the top figure of the Venezuelan criminal network Tren de Aragua, was killed in a joint U.S.–Venezuelan operation, a fact announced by President Donald Trump. Guerrero had led the group’s expansion across Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Mexico, the United States and Spain.

Following his death, intelligence reports point to Giovanni Vicente Mosquera Serrano, known as “El Viejo”, as a potential new head in Colombia, while Yohan José Guerrero (“Johan Petrica”) remains a key lieutenant linked to illegal gold mining in Bolívar. The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned Mosquera and the State Department offers up to $4 million for information leading to his capture; he was added to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list in June 2025. Analysts say the organisation now functions more as a resilient network than a leader‑centric group – “I think practically there is no effect…the value is symbolic,” said Jeremy McDermott of Insight Crime.