The Tren de Aragua leader, Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias 'Nino Guerrero,' was killed in a US-Venezuelan raid at age 42. Guerrero, a high school dropout, transformed a prison gang into one of Latin America's most powerful criminal organizations.
Founded in 2014, Tren de Aragua has been designated a terrorist organization by the US and operates in eight South American countries. Guerrero had a $5 million US bounty on his head and was accused of drug trafficking, extortion, and other crimes.
Guerrero built his operational base at the Tocoron prison, where he lived in a two-story house with amenities like a swimming pool, baseball field, and zoo. He was a 'pran,' a Spanish acronym for 'serious heavyweight and natural-born killer,' and was accused of brutal killings in several countries.
Guerrero escaped from Tocoron in 2023 and was later indicted in the US on charges of terrorism and violent crime. His death is seen as a severe blow to Tren de Aragua, which may struggle to replace him.
