A US airstrike in Venezuela has killed a senior leader of the Tren de Aragua criminal organisation, sources have confirmed. The strike, which took place on Tuesday near the city of Maracaibo, is the most significant US military action inside Venezuelan territory in decades. President Donald Trump, speaking from the White House, called the operation a 'decisive victory' in the ongoing fight against transnational crime.
Tren de Aragua, designated a foreign terrorist organisation by the US State Department in 2023, is responsible for a wave of violence across Latin America and the southern United States. The group has leveraged migration routes to expand its operations, including human trafficking and drug smuggling. Security analysts note that the strike signals a new phase in US counter-narcotics strategy, moving beyond covert operations to overt military force.
The Venezuelan government, led by President Nicolás Maduro, condemned the strike as a violation of national sovereignty. However, the US maintains that the operation was conducted in self-defence, citing the group's direct threat to American citizens. The dead gang leader, identified as Carlos 'El Diablo' Gómez, had a $5 million bounty on his head.
Analysts are divided on the long-term impact: some argue it will disrupt Tren de Aragua's leadership, while others warn of retaliatory attacks. The strike comes amid rising tensions between Washington and Caracas, with the US refusing to recognise Maduro's 2024 election victory as legitimate.
