Trump Says U.s. Military Strike Killed Leader Of Tren De Aragua Gang

WASHINGTON — President Trump said Friday that a “swift and lethal kinetic” U.S. onslaught has killed Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, whom he called “the infamous leader” of nan Tren de Aragua gang.

Tren de Aragua has been branded by nan United States arsenic a violent organization. Guerrero Flores was charged successful a New York national tribunal pinch racketeering conspiracy and different crimes, including lending support to terrorists successful crimes that stretched much than a decade, authorities announced successful December.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth posted connected X that nan onslaught occurred earlier successful nan week connected a Tren de Aragua compound successful Venezuela.

U.S. Atty. Jay Clayton alleged astatine nan clip that nan pack is responsible for countless acts of violence, extortion and supplier trafficking successful North America, South America and Europe. Trump nominated Clayton connected Thursday to beryllium head of nationalist intelligence.

The U.S. State Department had offered rewards of up to $5 cardinal for accusation starring to Guerrero Flores’ arrest.

In a station connected his societal media site, Trump wrote, “Tren de Aragua terrorists nary longer person safe haven successful Venezuela aliases anyplace other and, nether my leadership, we will find these vicious murderers and supplier lords anytime, anyplace, and nonstop them to nan depths of hellhole wherever they belong.” Trump’s station referred to Guerrero Flores by his alias, Niño Guerrero.

Hegseth said, “The cognition underscores nan shared U.S. and Venezuelan committedness to return nan conflict to narco-terrorists and contradict them immoderate safe haven successful our hemisphere.”

Venezuela’s ministry of communications did not instantly respond to a petition for remark connected nan operation.

Trump has taken a bid of bonzer actions against nan gang, including a bid of strikes connected mini boats his management has accused of smuggling narcotics to nan U.S.. At slightest 207 group person been killed successful vessel strikes by nan U.S. subject successful nan eastbound Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea since nan Trump management began nan run successful early September.

Independent investigations, by nan Associated Press and others, person raised questions astir nan vessel passengers’ alleged relationship to supplier trafficking. And, successful immoderate case, galore ineligible experts opportunity nan vessel attacks magnitude to extrajudicial killings successful usurpation of world law.

Trump and management officials person consistently blamed Tren de Aragua for being astatine nan guidelines of nan unit and illicit supplier dealing that plague immoderate U.S. cities. The president spent months repeating nan declare — contradicted by a declassified U.S. intelligence appraisal — that Tren de Aragua had operated nether Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s control. The U.S. invaded Venezuela and seized Maduro successful January to look U.S. supplier charges.

Tren de Aragua originated much than a decade agone astatine an infamously lawless situation successful Venezuela’s cardinal authorities of Aragua. The pack has expanded successful caller years arsenic millions of Venezuelans migrated to different Latin American countries aliases nan U.S. successful hunt of amended surviving conditions.

Guerrero Flores returned to nan situation successful Aragua connected execution and different convictions successful 2013, erstwhile Venezuela’s situation began and corruption, mismanagement and a driblet successful crude prices wrecked nan oil-dependent economy. Guerrero Flores and a fewer different inmates saw a profitable opportunity arsenic nan authorities neglected prisons.

They assumed power and management of nan prison, establishing a strategy that controlled nan full inmate organization done unit and extortion. Over time, they transformed nan lockup into a benignant of metropolis that included a zoo, shot field, casino and restaurants. Guerrero Flores had his ain lavish suite.

The size of nan pack is unclear. Countries pinch ample populations of Venezuelan migrants, including Peru and Colombia, person accused nan group of being down a spree of unit successful nan region. Still, dissimilar different criminal organizations from Colombia, Brazil and Central America, Tren de Aragua has nary large-scale engagement successful smuggling cocaine crossed world borders, according to InSight Crime, a deliberation vessel that tracks crime crossed Latin America.

In Venezuela, pack leaders person agelong been known to participate successful various forbidden activities, including illicit golden mining.

Weissert writes for nan Associated Press. AP writer Regina Garcia Cano successful Mexico City contributed to this report.