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Weekly Report - 18 June 2026 (WR-26-24)
US takes out Tren de Aragua leader in Venezuela
The US military killed the leader of the Tren de Aragua transnational criminal group, Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero Flores (‘Niño Guerrero’), in an air strike on Venezuelan soil on 12 June. US President Donald Trump confirmed the “lethal kinetic strike” on social media, adding that it had been “coordinated closely” with Venezuela. Big questions remain about precisely what this operation entailed and what role Venezuela played, but what is clear is that while ‘lethal kinetic strikes’ by the US Southern Command have become commonplace at sea, targeting suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, this is the first such attack on land, setting a precedent that will cause disquiet in the corridors of power in Mexico City and Brasília in particular.
- US takes out Tren de Aragua leader in Venezuela
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- BOLIVIA: Paz stages COB talks to try and end protests
- COLOMBIA: Cepeda faces uphill task
- ECUADOR: Los Choneros leader captured
- BRAZIL: Supreme court convicts Bolsonaro’s son on coercion charges
- BRAZIL: Lula boosts ties with various allies at G7
- ARGENTINA: Pressure increases on Adorni
- TRACKING TRENDS
- MEXICO: Teachers double down on protests as World Cup starts
- MEXICO: Oaxaca mayor killing renews security concerns
- CUBA: US scuppers fuel deal as Havana makes more concessions
- COSTA RICA: Fernández moves on insecurity
- DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Abinader unveils anti-crisis economic plan
- Guterres pays another visit to Haiti, claims ‘faint glimmers of hope’
- Quotes of the week