Don claims US strike killed gang leader in Venezuela

Washington: US President Trump said a US military strike had killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, described as the leader of the Tren de Aragua gang, in an operation carried out with Venezuelan cooperation.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strike targeted a Tren de Aragua compound in Venezuela earlier this week. The gang has been designated a terrorist organisation by the US. Guerrero Flores, also known as Niño Guerrero, was charged in a New York federal court with racketeering conspiracy and other offences, including supporting terrorist activities. On social media, Trump said members of the gang no longer had a safe haven in Venezuela and vowed to continue pursuing those responsible for violence and drug trafficking. Hegseth said the operation reflected a shared US-Venezuelan commitment to combat narcoterrorism. 

Tren de Aragua emerged over a decade ago in a prison in Venezuela’s Aragua and expanded in Latin America as millions of Venezuelans migrated abroad. Peru and Colombia linked the group to violent crimes and extortion. Trump has made action against the gang a central part of his immigration and crime agenda. He has repeatedly blamed Tren de Aragua for violence and drug trafficking in parts of the US, although some claims about its links to the Venezuelan government have been disputed by US intelligence assessments.