The Venezuelan immigrant charged with the murder of Laken Riley was waved through the U.S. border and was not asked for an entry check by authorities until two years later, a Post investigation reveals. became.
According to sources, Jose Ibarra, 26, is currently marked by authorities as a member of the violent organization El Tren del Aragua and will be arrested in September 2022 for illegally entering the United States. It was done.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said he was released on parole within 24 hours of being taken into custody and given free movement in the United States until October 2024.
Ybarra headed to New York City, where she lived in a city-provided shelter and seemed at ease, posting photos of herself smiling at Big Apple landmarks.
He was once arrested by police in the city, released, and then fled to Georgia, where he was reunited with his allegedly violent brother, who was also allowed into the country but cut off his ankle monitor to evade authorities. It was to meet.
Here, we analyze Ybarra’s timeline in the United States and highlight the shocking oversights at all levels that allowed the alleged killer to be tolerated among the general public.
The incident also highlights how easily violent and dangerous people have slipped under the radar, taking advantage of the Biden administration’s border policies, which have led to millions more arriving since Ybarra.
September 8, 2022
Ybarra was arrested by Border Patrol agents in El Paso, Texas, after illegally crossing the border. He is accompanied by his girlfriend, Rayling Franco, and her 5-year-old son.
Ybarra was released on parole less than 24 hours later due to lack of capacity to detain him, according to ICE records reviewed by The Post. He gave a New York destination address as a homeless shelter and was directed to report to an agency in the city.
As The Post reported at the time, El Paso was overcrowded with more than 600 migrants arriving each day. At the time, the city of El Paso, with Mayor Eric Adams’ blessing, also paid for buses for immigrants from El Paso to New York.
October 22, 2022
Records provided to the newspaper show Ybarra has been given a date to check into ICE on Oct. 24, 2024.
April 6, 2023
ICE in New York further postponed Ybarra’s scheduled appointment to December 13, 2024.
ICE has no memo indicating that Mr. Ybarra checked into the agency.
May 22, 2023
Ibarra will submit an asylum application and apply for a work permit.
Franco previously told the Post that he and Ibarra “married so they could participate in the asylum case” to improve their chances of success as a family.
Franco said Ybarra was working at DoorDash, Uber Eats and a local restaurant at the time.
August 31, 2023
Ybarra was arrested by the New York Police Department on suspicion of riding a gasoline moped with Franco’s son in the back without head protection or restraints.he
He was released by the NYPD before ICE issued a detainer for arrest. His lawsuit with the NYPD was later sealed.
November 2023
Franco and Ibarra separate and move to Athens, Georgia, where he meets his younger brother Diego (29).
Diego attempted to enter the country in April of the same year, but was quickly deported. Less than a month later, he got into an altercation with a Border Patrol agent while trying to re-enter the country, according to his arrest report.
Despite getting into a physical fight and nearly biting a police officer, Diego broke his agreement with federal authorities and was surprisingly allowed into the country with an ankle monitor.he
He reportedly immediately disconnected his monitor in Littleton, Colorado, and then headed to Georgia.
December 2023
Diego was arrested in September for drunk driving and driving without a license.
In October, Diego and Ibarra were arrested on suspicion of stealing from a Walmart store. More than $200 worth of items were seized, including food, T-shirts, shorts and jackets, according to a police report.
In December, warrants were issued for both brothers’ arrests after they failed to report the incident to the police.
During this time, Diego also worked briefly at the University of Georgia, giving him a fake green card as identification.
February 22, 2024
Promising nursing student Laken Riley fails to return home after running near campus.
February 23, 2024
Jose Ibarra was arrested and charged with concealment of the death of another, false imprisonment, felony murder, malicious murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, and aggravated assault in connection with Riley’s death. His arrest report says authorities used surveillance footage to place him at the crime scene.
On the same day, Diego was approached by police officers who claimed he had the same characteristics as his brother. He was arrested after giving police a fake green card. He could face up to 10 years in prison for using a fake federal ID.
March 2024
According to Diego Ibarra’s arrest report, he wears the characteristic signatures of the Venezuelan gang El Torren de Aragua, including a “pentagram on the left side of his neck and a pentagram on the right side of his neck.” He reportedly had a tattoo. for documents filed Wednesday in the U.S. Middle District of Georgia.
Photos on social media show him posing with a gun and throwing gang signs.
Jose Ibarra is also listed as an “active member” of El Torren de Aragua, ICE officials told the Post.
Both men have not yet entered arguments in their respective cases.
