An aerial photograph released by U.S. President Donald Trump on the 12th (local time) shows a U.S. military strike on Nino Guerrero, the leader of Venezuela's criminal organization Tren de Aragua. [Screenshot from President Donald Trump's Truth Social account] 

The leader of Venezuela's large criminal organization 'Tren de Aragua' (TdA) has been eliminated by a U.S. military operation.

According to AFP news agency on the 12th (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that day, "The U.S. Southern Command successfully assassinated Nino Guerrero of Tren de Aragua, one of the most brutal terrorist organizations on Earth, through a swift and lethal military strike."

He also released an aerial photograph of a building exploding after being hit by the U.S. military.

President Trump emphasized, "Tren de Aragua members will no longer have a safe haven anywhere, including in Venezuela."

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses also confirmed via X (formerly Twitter) that Guerrero died in an attack on the organization's stronghold within Venezuela.

Tren de Aragua is a criminal organization that has expanded its influence from Venezuela across Central and South America.

It is known to have infiltrated members into the United States through human trafficking and illegal immigration networks.

President Trump has strongly criticized criminal organizations like Tren de Aragua for their large-scale drug trafficking into the United States.

Notably, President Trump also designated Tren de Aragua as a 'Foreign Terrorist Organization' (FTO) shortly after his return to the White House last year.

Guerrero, who was eliminated through the military operation, was the individual who built Tren de Aragua into a multinational criminal organization spanning Central and South America.

The U.S. government had placed a $5 million (approximately 7.6 billion won) bounty on Guerrero.

Guerrero was under indictment in the United States on charges of organized crime, terrorism, and drug trafficking.

Meanwhile, President Trump stated, "This operation was successful through close cooperation with Venezuela."

Local media outlets have assessed this operation as an example demonstrating the strengthening cooperation between the United States and Venezuela since the ouster of the Nicolás Maduro regime.

Venezuelan criminal organization members imprisoned in El Salvador [Yonhap News Agency archive photo via UPI]