U.S. Military Takes Action Against Venezuelan Gang Leader

On Friday, President Donald Trump announced that U.S. military forces successfully eliminated Niño Guerrero, the head of the Venezuelan gang known as Torren de Aragua, in a “rapid and deadly kinetic attack” directed by U.S. Southern Command.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump described Torren de Aragua as “one of the most bloodthirsty terrorist organizations on the planet.” He emphasized that this operation aligned with his campaign promise to combat violent foreign criminals and terrorist groups that threaten the United States.

“At my direction, U.S. Southern Command conducted a swift and deadly kinetic attack that successfully executed Niño Guerrero,” Trump stated.

The president criticized former President Joe Biden’s border policies, claiming that they facilitated the entry of Torren de Aragua members into the U.S. He asserted that the previous administration had opened the southern border to “millions of illegal criminals,” allowing gangs to perpetrate violence against Americans.

In his remarks, Trump referenced specific victims of gang violence, including 12-year-old Jocelyn Nangaray and 22-year-old Laken Riley, stating that the military action brought justice to these victims and their families.

“During my campaign, I vowed to banish these monsters from our country and bring justice to the families of those they slaughtered, including precious 12-year-old Jocelyn Nangaray and 22-year-old Laken Riley. With this action, the U.S. military exacted vengeance on them, their families, and their loved ones,” he wrote.

Trump also highlighted measures his administration took against gangs, such as classifying Torren de Aragua as a foreign terrorist organization, deporting illegal immigrants who committed crimes, and targeting drug cartels. He mentioned that the operation was coordinated with Venezuela’s government.

The attack demonstrated that Torren de Aragua members no longer have a safe haven and illustrated the regime’s commitment to pursuing transnational criminal organizations.

“As a result, the terrorists of Torren de Aragua no longer have a safe haven in Venezuela or elsewhere, and under my leadership, we will find these heinous murderers and drug lords everywhere and anytime,” President Trump remarked.

U.S. and Latin American authorities have linked Torren de Aragua to a variety of serious crimes, including murder, kidnapping, extortion, human trafficking, drug trafficking, money laundering, and robbery. Prosecutors in the U.S. have also charged gang members with offenses related to extortion, sex trafficking, and violent attacks aligned with their criminal enterprises.