The Tren de Aragua gang in Venezuela is suspected of being involved in the kidnapping and murder of children in Texas.
In Aurora, Colorado, two suspects were apprehended in connection with the ongoing activities of Tren de Aragua.
The transnational Tren de Aragua gang is suspected of kidnapping and murdering a Texas man, whose body was discovered in August with a single gunshot wound to the head. The children of the victim were found wandering on the side of the road. Aurora authorities knew about the problem with Tren de Aragua over a year ago, according to documents.
A police release stated that four Venezuelan nationals kidnapped Petit and his two young relatives, taking them to an apartment in Farmers Branch, Texas. The suspects then executed Petit and abandoned the children on a nearby service road, according to investigators.
Three suspects, Ehiker Alexander Morales Mendoza, Carlos Luis Zambrano Bolivar, and Jhonata Nahin Toro Gonzalez, were identified and apprehended by Farmers Branch police for charges of capital murder and two counts of aggravated kidnapping. Authorities are still searching for a fourth suspect, Jhonny Jesus Martinez Serrano, who remains at large. The suspects are believed to be part of a violent Venezuelan gang following in the path of MS-13 in America.
Petit was kidnapped along with the children after failing to pay his co-conspirators in an ATM theft scheme, which was discovered by police.
In Aurora, Colorado, two suspects, Bolivar and Gonzalez, were apprehended by ICE agents while Mendoza was taken into custody in New Mexico by Homeland Security agents. Since August, Aurora, Colorado has been linked to Tren de Aragua gang activity due to a viral surveillance footage from an apartment building overrun by the criminal outfit.
Tren de Aragua, a Venezuela-based organization, has recently expanded its operations to the United States, including drug and human trafficking. Officials with the Farmer's Branch PD have indicated that the suspects, including Petit, are affiliated with Tren de Aragua, although these crimes were not specifically gang-related. Bolivar, Gonzalez, and Mendoza are awaiting extradition from Colorado and New Mexico, respectively. Anyone with information about Serrano's whereabouts is asked to contact the Farmers Branch Police Department at (972) 919-1406 or via email at [email protected] and can remain anonymous.
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