The United States launched a military strike inside Venezuelan territory that reportedly killed Héctor “Niño” Guerrero Flores, an alleged leader of criminal group Tren de Aragua.
US President Donald Trump first announced the “swift and lethal kinetic strike” via social media on June 12. Trump said the extrajudicial execution was “coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela”.
US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed the operation shortly afterward, adding that it had taken place earlier in the week and reiterated the “full collaboration with Venezuelan security forces”.
In a June 14 interview, Hegseth claimed US forces were “invited” by Venezuelan authorities and that further operations in Venezuelan territory were to be expected.
For its part, the Venezuelan government, headed by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, issued a June 12 statement informing of a “joint operation” between US and Venezuelan security forces to dismantle “organised crime structures” in southeast Bolívar state.
“During the operation there were clashes with members of these criminal structures that resulted in ‘Niño Guerrero’ being neutralised,” the communiqué read. Neither Venezuelan nor US officials offered details about the operation, the alleged clashes or additional casualties from the lethal strike against Guerrero.
Caracas went on to claim the mission involved “intelligence sharing” between the two countries and reiterated its “commitment to fight organised crime”.
According to the Venezuelan Constitution, the deployment of foreign military missions in the country’s territory requires approval from the National Assembly.
The military procedure coincided with a Venezuelan armed forces deployment to dislodge illegal mining outfits from mineral-rich Bolívar state, as Western corporations eye lucrative exploration projects under a new, pro-business mining law.
The reported execution of Guerrero is the first recorded joint US-Venezuela military operation on Venezuelan soil.
Since September 2025, the Trump administration has struck dozens of small boats in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific, killing over 200 civilians. US authorities have claimed to be targeting drug trafficking operations but have not put forward any evidence.
On January 3, US forces bombed Caracas and kidnapped Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. Since the attack, Acting President Rodríguez has fast-tracked a diplomatic rapprochement with the Trump White House while reforming oil and mining legislation to favour Western investment.
[Abridged from Venezuela Analysis.]