Trump says US strike has killed leader of Tren de Aragua gang

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said late Friday the US has carried out a deadly strike on the leader of Tren de Aragua, a transnational gang founded in Venezuela.

The “swift and lethal” attack by US military forces on Nino Guerrero was “coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela, with whom we are working very well”, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

He was apparently referring to the interim leadership of Delcy Rodriguez, which has been in place since the US removed Nicolas Maduro from power in January.

“As a result, Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else,” he wrote, without specifying where the strike took place.

The social media post was accompanied by a 10-second video, showing an overhead view of a building surrounded by greenery before an explosion is seen, sending up a cloud of smoke. No people are clearly visible in the footage.

The US has designated Tren de Aragua, which is also active in Colombia, Peru and Chile, as a terrorist organisation.