Eight individuals, all undocumented immigrants, have been apprehended in connection with the assault on New York Police Department (NYPD) officers last month. Officials have disclosed that two of these immigrants, Kelvin Servita-Arocha (19) and Wilson Omar Juarez-Aguilarte (21), are associated with the Venezuelan gang known as Tren de Aragua. The revelation came from Marie Ferguson, a spokesperson for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who conveyed that both detainees are members of the transnational criminal organization and are currently held without bail in ICE custody.
The charges against Servita-Arocha and Juarez-Aguilarte stem from their alleged involvement in a violent gang assault on two NYPD officers outside an immigration shelter near Times Square on January 27. A surveillance video captured a large group, believed to consist of illegal immigrants, brutally attacking the officers. Five men were arrested, and two more were later taken into custody. However, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office decided not to press charges against them, pending further investigation. This decision has faced criticism from New York officials, including Governor Kathy Hochul, who expressed dissatisfaction and emphasized the severity of assaulting law enforcement officers.
In response to the incident, ICE spokesperson Marie Ferguson explained that both Servita-Arocha and Juarez-Aguilarte were arrested on immigration warrants and remain detained without bond in ERO New York City custody. Notably, Juarez-Aguilarte had been subject to a deportation order from a judge in El Paso, Texas, a year ago, raising questions about why ICE had not executed the order.
On February 8, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office announced the indictment of seven men, including Darwin Andres Gomez-Izquiel, Yorman Reveron, and Yohenry Brito, in connection with the assault. The office revealed that, in total, eight individuals, all undocumented immigrants, have been arrested for the incident. Additionally, there were suspicions that some members of this group were attempting to flee the state on a passenger bus after being released without bail.
Tren de Aragua, the gang to which Servita-Arocha and Juarez-Aguilarte belong, is identified as the most significant criminal organization in Venezuela, comprising over 2,700 members. This transnational group engages in various criminal activities, including drug trafficking, sex trafficking, ransom kidnappings, and money laundering. Recent reports indicate that members of Tren de Aragua have been observed in New York and other U.S. cities, such as Chicago. Despite previous convictions for violent crimes, these individuals were released by detention centers under the Biden administration.
The FBI’s El Paso field office reported the apprehension of 38 suspected Tren de Aragua members crossing the border illegally in fiscal year 2023. Senior FBI agent John Morales expressed concerns about the gang potentially joining forces with the notorious MS-13 gang, expanding its criminal network in New York and other U.S. cities. The FBI is urging Venezuelan migrants to report gang members through the 1-800-CALL-FBI tipline, ensuring anonymity for informants. Morales emphasized the gang’s recruitment strategy, utilizing the surge of illegal immigrants at shelters in New York City to expand its influence.
