Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth
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U.S. strike in Venezuela kills Tren de Aragua leader Héctor Guerrero Flores
President Trump announced on June 12, 2026, that U.S. Southern Command carried out a "kinetic strike" in Bolívar state, Venezuela, that killed Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores ("Niño Guerrero"), the alleged longtime leader of Tren de Aragua. The named target had been indicted in U.S. federal court and carried a $5 million U.S. bounty, but was killed without arrest, trial, or judicial process. Trump said the operation was closely coordinated with the Venezuelan government, which confirmed a combined operation in Bolívar state.
JTF Southern Spear killed five across two suspected narcotics vessels; 34th-35th strikes, ~115 campaign deaths
On Dec. 31, 2025, Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out successive "lethal kinetic strikes" on two vessels U.S. Southern Command alleged were operated by designated terrorist organizations along known narco-trafficking routes, killing five people — three aboard the first vessel and two aboard the second. SOUTHCOM presented no evidence, identified no one, filed no charges, and reported no attempt at interdiction or arrest. These were the 34th and 35th strikes of Operation Southern Spear and are the earliest strikes in this archive's record of the campaign.
JTF Southern Spear killed five across two suspected narcotics vessels in eastern Pacific; 27th-28th strikes, ~104 campaign deaths
On December 18, 2025, Joint Task Force Southern Spear carried out two successive lethal strikes on vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean — the 27th and 28th of the campaign — killing five people in total, according to U.S. Southern Command. The command asserted the boats were operated by designated terrorist organizations on known narco-trafficking routes but provided no charges, evidence, or attempt at interdiction or arrest. The strikes pushed the campaign's reported cumulative death toll past 100.