Secretary of War Announces Strike on Tren de Aragua Compound in Venezuela, Confirming Death of Leader Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores

VENEZUELA — The Department of War, in full collaboration with Venezuelan security forces, conducted a strike on a Tren de Aragua compound in Venezuela earlier this week, according to a statement by the U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth today.

TdA founder and leader Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, also known as “Niño Guerrero,” was confirmed to have been killed during the strike.

President Donald Trump separately announced the successful strike on his social media platform, describing it as a swift and lethal strike carried out under his direction and coordinated with Venezuelan partners.

The operation targeted a compound linked to TdA inside Venezuela. Official reporting confirms the death of the group’s founder and top leader during the strike. No further details on the precise timing, exact location of the compound, strike method, or additional casualties have been released.

Official Statements

• Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, June 13, 2026: “Earlier this week, the @DeptofWar — in full collaboration with Venezuelan security forces — conducted a kinetic strike on a Tren de Aragua (TdA) compound in Venezuela. TdA founder & leader Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, aka “Niño Guerrero,” was confirmed killed during the strike. The operation underscores the shared U.S. and Venezuelan commitment to take the fight to narco-terrorists and deny them any safe haven in our hemisphere. We will continue to work closely with security partners, like Venezuela — and countries in the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C) partners — to take the fight to our enemies.”