US MILITARY KILLS TREN DE ARAGUA GANG LEADER IN AIRSTRIKE, TRUMP SAYS

The United States military conducted an airstrike that killed Hector Guerrero Flores, leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, President Donald Trump announced via social media post. Trump stated that United States Southern Command executed the strike at his direction, describing it as "swift and lethal". Trump posted footage of the airstrike showing a green building and adjacent shed being destroyed. Trump said the action was coordinated with Venezuelan authorities, stating the US was "working very well" with them.

Tren de Aragua ranks among Latin America's most notorious criminal organisations. The group originated as a prison gang before Guerrero transformed it into a transnational criminal operation, according to the US state department. The Trump administration designated Tren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organisation, placing it alongside the Islamic State. Trump accused the gang of engaging in "irregular warfare" against the United States. The US state department had previously offered millions of dollars for information leading to Guerrero's arrest.

The strike represents a significant action against one of the Trump administration's identified security threats. The operation follows the administration's stated priority of targeting groups it views as threats to US interests. The timing and method of the strike underscore the administration's commitment to pursuing the organisation's dismantlement through military means.