Several of the illegal immigrants who allegedly attacked two New York Police Department (NYPD) cops were recently said to have been members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
U.S. federal authorities say that two of the foreign migrants who were arrested—and quickly released—over the beating of NYPD officers are members of a violent Venezuelan gang. Read: https://t.co/aqQn7tbIPu
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) February 16, 2024
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported that two unlawful migrants, responsible for allegedly beating NYPD officers, were recently detained in an apartment in New York City and are currently being held without bail. The agency pointed out that the pair are members of a gang that is causing significant damage across the Big Apple.
ICE spokesperson Marie Ferguson told the New York Post that the “unlawfully present Venezuelan citizens” have been charged for harming two NYPD cops.
“Both noncitizens have been identified as members of the Tren de Aragua transnational criminal organization,” Ferguson added.
The illegal immigrants are 21-year-old Wilson Juarez and 19-year-old Kelvin Servita-Arocha.
ICE pointed out that Servita-Arocha was arrested on a warrant and will soon have his custody status reevaluated, adding that Juarez was detained on a deportation order in 2023.
The duo is alleged to have attacked two NYPD officers on Jan. 27, 2024. Surveillance footage shows a group of illegal immigrants surrounding the cops and beating them before fleeing.
Despite such brutality, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg originally released some of the suspects from jail without bail, sparking massive criticism. Following such backlash, he recently announced new charges against those responsible.
Considering the damage and expansion of the Venezuelan gang across New York, officials are ordering the state National Guard to check illegal immigrants for gang-related tattoos.
“It’s to a point that they had to post policies on use of force like if we were in a combat zone,” a source close to the New York State National Guard told the New York Post.
An alert was released to individuals serving in the state National Guard that read, “Given the potential threat posed by TdA’s growing presence in the city, the [NYPD Intelligence and Counter Terrorism Bureau] recommends members of the service maintain situational awareness of symbols and iconography used by the gang to identify local activity and trends.”
State National Guard troops were instructed to “coordinate with your precinct Field Intelligence Team” if they find illegal immigrants with gang-related tattoos.