The United States has killed the leader of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang in an airstrike, a senior US official has confirmed. The operation, carried out in the early hours of Tuesday, targeted key figures in the transnational criminal organisation known for drug trafficking, extortion, and migrant smuggling across Latin America. The UK government has promptly praised the strike as a significant blow to organised crime, with a Foreign Office spokesperson stating that it “disrupts a major threat to regional stability”.
The strike comes amid increasing cooperation between Washington and London on counter-terrorism and security in the Western Hemisphere, where the Tren de Aragua has expanded its influence. The gang’s leader, whose name has not been officially released, was reportedly killed alongside several lieutenants in a remote area of Venezuela’s Amazonas state. The operation marks an escalation in US military involvement in the region, though officials have emphasised it was a targeted counter-terror action rather than a broader intervention.
Venezuela’s government has yet to comment, but analysts note that the strike may strain already tense US-Venezuela relations. The UK’s endorsement aligns with its stance on combating illicit networks that fuel instability in the Americas.
