The Daily Journal — General Francis L. Donovan, commander of United States Southern Command, expressed his gratitude to Venezuela’s security forces following the binational military operation that ended with the death of Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, known as “Niño Guerrero,” founder and top leader of the transnational criminal organization known as Tren de Aragua.
The statement, which appeared on Southern Command’s official X account, adds to announcements from the White House, the Department of War, and Venezuela’s Ministry of Popular Power for Communication and Information. Together, those institutions confirmed the results of an unprecedented strategic cooperation effort between Washington and Caracas.
“We express our gratitude to the Venezuelan security forces for their support in the successful joint operation against a Tren de Aragua compound that led to the death of the narcoterrorist organization’s leader, Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias ‘Niño Guerrero,’” General Donovan stated.
The U.S. military chief recalled that Guerrero Flores “was a wanted fugitive whom the U.S. Department of Justice accused of ordering, directing, and facilitating acts of terrorism and violence in the United States.”
On April 23, Donovan visited Caracas as part of a military exercise at the U.S. Embassy facilities in the Venezuelan capital.
The embassy’s official social media accounts explained that the deployment sought to “ensure the military’s rapid-response capability.”
Earlier, in February, the U.S. general met with Acting President Delcy Rodríguez to coordinate new security frameworks.
Background of the binational military operation
The Pentagon initially described the operation as a “swift and lethal kinetic strike.” Authorities launched it earlier this week.
According to the Venezuelan government’s official statement, the binational incursion focused on southeastern Bolívar state, where local special forces units, supported by U.S. technical assistance, engaged the gang’s logistical cells in armed confrontations and neutralized the criminal leader. Authorities from both countries emphasized that the mission succeeded because intelligence agencies shared information rigorously and relied on specialized technological support.
A transnational criminal structure
Héctor Guerrero Flores had remained a fugitive since September 2023, when he escaped through underground tunnels during the military intervention at Tocorón Prison, a facility he had transformed into the centralized command center of Tren de Aragua. From there, he built a criminal network that expanded operations into Colombia, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, and the United States, specializing in extortion, contract killings, drug trafficking, and human trafficking.
Authorities dismantled his operational base in Bolívar state and later confirmed his death amid a period of renewed bilateral cooperation. On March 5, Washington and Caracas formally restored diplomatic and consular relations.
