Washington: The United States has claimed a major success in its fight against transnational organized crime, announcing that a military operation in Venezuela resulted in the death of Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, better known as “Niño Guerrero,” the alleged leader of the notorious criminal organization Tren de Aragua.
US President Donald Trump shared a video of the operation on social media, describing it as a significant achievement for American and regional security. According to Trump, the operation targeted one of the most wanted figures linked to a network accused of human trafficking, drug smuggling, extortion, kidnapping, and other serious crimes across Latin America.
US authorities have long identified Tren de Aragua as a major transnational criminal organization. American officials allege that Guerrero played a central role in expanding the group’s operations beyond Venezuela and coordinating criminal activities across several countries.
The operation comes at a time of heightened global security concerns and growing tensions involving Iran and the Middle East. While US officials have emphasized that the Venezuela strike was specifically aimed at organized crime, analysts note that it reflects Washington’s increasingly assertive security posture on multiple fronts.
The Venezuelan government had not issued an immediate official response to the reported operation at the time of publication.
The development is expected to draw international attention and could add a new dimension to already complex relations between Washington and Caracas.