A Venezuelan immigrant who allegedly gave police a fake green card while searching for the brother of the suspect in the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley is a member of a violent Venezuela-based organized crime group, according to federal prosecutors. It is said to be related to Torren de Aragua.
Federal authorities have warned that the gang, also known as TdA, which has expanded into other countries in Latin America and is known for violent turf wars, is trying to establish itself in the United States, and police have already established ties with organized crime. We are currently making connections. .
Diego Ibarra is also accused of attempting to bite a Border Patrol agent in Texas on April 30, 2023, the day of his second alleged illegal entry.
But only the man who was traveling with him was charged in the case, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morrison of the Middle District of Georgia said in response to prosecutors’ motion to hold him without bail. said in a supporting submission.
FBI fears Venezuelan immigrant gang members may team up with MS-13 killers
Images taken from federal court filings include a photo of Diego Ibarra’s alleged fake green card and what prosecutors say is evidence of his alleged ties to the Venezuelan gang Torren de Aragua. It is included. (Central District of Georgia)
Gang members were involved in a high-profile assault on an NYPD police officer, which made national headlines after the video went viral and the suspect was released without bail.
Federal prosecutors said in court filings that the gang has a significant presence in New York City, Florida, Texas, Illinois and Georgia.
Please read the submission:
Laken Riley tried to call 911 during deadly encounter, Athens police confirm
Homeland Security Investigations agents, suspicious of his TdA-related tattoos, discovered social media accounts where Ybarra flashed hand signals to the gang.
Federal prosecutors say the hand sign shown here with the index finger, pinky and thumb extended and the other fingers closed is a common gesture used by gangs at the Torren de Aragua prison. (Central District of Georgia)
He also posted a photo of himself wearing Chicago Bulls team colors, which authorities said was also a red flag.
“TdA members frequently wear Chicago Bulls basketball attire, even though they have no connection to Chicago or the Bulls,” prosecutors wrote.
As an illegal immigrant, Ybarra is not allowed to own a gun in the United States. However, prosecutors said HSI investigators found multiple photos of Ybarra with various firearms.
Georgia student suspected of murder turns out to be illegal immigrant
Prosecutors say Diego Ibarras’ fake green card had two dates of birth that don’t match. The photos released in court documents have been edited. (Central District of Georgia)
Ibarra has been in custody since late February when police arrested him while searching for his brother. Authorities said the two men had similar physical characteristics and Ybarra was wearing the same hat seen in surveillance video of Riley’s murder.
He allegedly gave them fake green cards.
Since then, further details have emerged regarding his criminal activities since entering the United States illegally.
Uga murder suspect’s brother charged with green card fraud
Laken Riley poses for a photo to post on Facebook. Riley, a nursing student, was found dead near a lake on the University of Georgia campus on Thursday, February 22, 2024. (Alison Phillips/Facebook)
A month after the brawl at the border, he allegedly cut off an ankle monitor worn by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Police found him in Colorado, but Diego headed to Athens, Georgia, where he had multiple run-ins with the law before his brother allegedly killed Riley on a running track at the University of Georgia. In Athens, Diego Ibarra racks up drunk driving charges, is accused of stealing his girlfriend’s cell phone, and is also suspected of shoplifting from two local Walmarts.
ICE arrests two suspected Venezuelan gang members involved in NYPD raid
Federal prosecutors say Torren de Aragua members often wear Chicago Bulls clothing, even if they have no ties to Chicago and are not fans of the team. Investigators found the photo among multiple images of suspected gang member Diego Ibarra wearing Chicago Bulls apparel. (Central District of Georgia)
Ibarra’s brother, Jose Antonio Ibarra, is accused of brutally killing Riley during a morning run in what investigators are calling a “crime of opportunity.”
Authorities say he also entered the country illegally in 2022, but was released on border parole and allowed to travel to New York City and then Athens.
Kelly Gertz, the mayor of Athens, about 110 miles east of Atlanta, faced protests over public safety in the city during a news conference last week.
Federal prosecutors say Torren de Aragua members often wear Chicago Bulls clothing, even if they have no ties to Chicago and are not fans of the team. Investigators found the photo among multiple images of suspected gang member Diego Ibarra wearing Chicago Bulls apparel. He also makes what appears to be TdA’s hand gestures. (Central District of Georgia)
Laken Riley incident: Hecklers yell at Athens mayor for denying sanctuary city and announcing security fund
Heckler called for his resignation when he denied Athens was a sanctuary city, and he berated him when he blamed then-President Trump for a 2019 resolution supporting illegal aliens. .
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“2019 wasn’t that long ago, but you may remember the dynamic situation we were living in when we were in our late teens in this country and the president of the United States was making the most despicable statements about foreign-born people. I can’t,” he said. He said. “And that idea was spreading to places like Charlottesville.”
Fox News Digital’s Brooke Curto and Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
