Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as Niño Guerrero, the 42-year-old leader of the Tren de Aragua gang, was killed during a joint operation by the United States and Venezuela in the southeastern Venezuelan state of Bolívar in June 2026 [1, 2].
The US military conducted a strike on a Tren de Aragua compound in southern Venezuela on or around June 12, killing Guerrero Flores [1]. Venezuela and the United States publicly confirmed his death the following day [1].
President Donald Trump described the strike as a "swift and lethal kinetic" action and said it reaffirmed the US commitment to combating narco-terrorists. He said, "Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else and, under my leadership, we will find these vicious murderers and drug lords anytime, anyplace, and send them to the depths of hell where they belong" [1]. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the operation highlighted the "shared US and Venezuelan commitment to take the fight to narco-terrorists and deny them any safe haven in our hemisphere" [1].
Tren de Aragua, founded in 2014 in Venezuela, is active in several South American countries including Colombia, Peru, and Chile [2]. The United States has designated the gang a terrorist organization and had offered a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to Guerrero Flores' arrest [1, 2].
Guerrero Flores was charged in a New York federal court with racketeering conspiracy and other crimes related to supporting terrorists over more than 10 years [1]. He operated from Tocorón prison in Aragua state, where he controlled the prison while building Tren de Aragua [2]. According to reports, he lived in relative comfort inside Tocorón prison with amenities such as a swimming pool, baseball field, restaurants, and even a zoo [2].
Luis Izquiel, a lawyer and criminology professor, said Guerrero’s leadership was notable not for ferocity but for his criminal mind that expanded and strengthened Tren de Aragua's reach [2].
On June 15, 2026, Malay Mail published a detailed profile highlighting Guerrero Flores’ criminal history and leadership of the gang from prison [2].