Donald Trump has announced that the leader of Venezuela's Tren de Aragua street gang, Nino Guerrero, has been killed in a US military strike. In a post on Truth Social, the former president described the operation as a "swift and lethal kinetic strike" carried out at his direction by the United States Southern Command.
Trump's statement on the strike
Trump wrote: "At my direction, the United States Southern Command delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike to successfully execute Nino Guerrero, the infamous leader of Tren De Aragua, one of the most bloodthirsty Terrorist Organizations on Planet."
He added: "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."
Video shared by Trump
Trump shared a dramatic video showing an aerial view of a small building with a green roof exploding. The exact timing of the strike was not disclosed, but US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted on X that it occurred earlier in the week on a Tren de Aragua compound in Venezuela.
No comment from Venezuelan authorities
Venezuelan authorities have not yet responded to the operation. The strike comes amid ongoing tensions in the region, with US Central Command also reporting the interception of multiple Iranian one-way attack drones targeting commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi indicated that changes to a peace deal with the US are still possible, stating that Iran has emerged stronger from the conflict. "Iran is the winner of the war with the US," he said on state television.
