Biden-Released Illegal Tren de Aragua Gang Members Plead Guilty to NYC Double Murder
Four Venezuelan nationals linked to the Tren de Aragua gang pleaded guilty to a 2024 Bronx double homicide, with three released into the U.S. under Biden-era catch-and-release policies.
The guilty pleas entered last week involve four Venezuelan nationals—Keiber Jaen Martinez, Samuel Gonzalez Castro, Eferson Gabriel Morillo-Gomez, and Keineyer Ibarra-Mujica—all connected to a 2024 shooting in New York City that killed 44-year-old Claretha Daniels and 36-year-old Justin Lawless, according to Breitbart News.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin acknowledged the case in a public statement, noting that all four gang members entered the country during the Biden administration’s tenure. Mullin characterized Tren de Aragua as among the most brutal criminal organizations globally, stating the gang engages in rape, maiming, and murder as routine activities.
The immigration histories of the four defendants reveal systemic failures in border enforcement. Martinez illegally crossed into Texas in 2023 and received a final deportation order from a federal immigration judge on September 5, 2024. The three others—Castro, Morillo-Gomez, and Ibarra-Mujica—all crossed the southern border and were subsequently released into the interior of the United States under the catch-and-release protocols that characterized Biden-era immigration policy, as Breitbart News reports.
Castro received his final deportation order in November 2024, while Ibarra-Mujica was ordered deported in June 2024. Despite these orders, all four remained in the country and allegedly participated in the deadly Bronx shooting.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche addressed the case directly, drawing on his experience as a former Assistant U.S. Attorney who prosecuted gang violence in the Bronx. Blanche described Tren de Aragua as a terrorist organization and vowed that the Justice Department would pursue complete elimination of the gang’s presence in America.
The case underscores ongoing concerns about sanctuary jurisdiction policies in New York City, where local authorities limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement even when dealing with known gang members.
The victims’ families will now see the four defendants face sentencing for their roles in what prosecutors described as ruthless and senseless murders, along with an attempted murder of a third victim during the same incident.
With information from Breitbart News
