Strike on Venezuela gang leader may open door to mineral wealth episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 16, 2026 · 7 MIN

Strike on Venezuela gang leader may open door to mineral wealth

from The World: Latest Stories · host Joyce Hackel

The US Southern Command airstrike on a compound in Venezuela last week killed Tren de Aragua leader Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias “Niño Guerrero.” Guerrero was hiding for many years in a vast strip of land in southern Venezuela, rich with gold and cobalt. Phil Gunson, Caracas-based analyst for the International Crisis Group, tells The World’s Host Carolyn Beeler that eliminating Guerrero may be one “first, small step” to opening up the mining region to US interests.

The US Southern Command airstrike on a compound in Venezuela last week killed Tren de Aragua leader Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias “Niño Guerrero.” Guerrero was hiding for many years in a vast strip of land in southern Venezuela, rich with gold and cobalt. Phil Gunson, Caracas-based analyst for the International Crisis Group, tells The World’s Host Carolyn Beeler that eliminating Guerrero may be one “first, small step” to opening up the mining region to US interests.

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Strike on Venezuela gang leader may open door to mineral wealth

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This episode was published on June 16, 2026.

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The US Southern Command airstrike on a compound in Venezuela last week killed Tren de Aragua leader Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, alias “Niño Guerrero.” Guerrero was hiding for many years in a vast strip of land in southern Venezuela, rich...

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