Venezuelan Arrested in Texas for Murder Attempt

A Venezuelan man has been arrested in Texas for allegedly attempting to murder a woman during a violent game of Russian roulette. According to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 31-year-old Raul Enrique Pargas Rodriguez was detained on Monday.

ICE officials stated that Pargas Rodriguez is wanted in Venezuela for an incident that involved him supposedly torturing a woman in a deadly game. Joshua Johnson, director of the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Dallas, commented, “This dangerous criminal alien, who is said to have beaten and tortured a woman, fled to the US after his attempts to kill her. Thanks to tips from the US Border Patrol, we could locate and safely detain him so he can be deported and face justice in Venezuela.”

The warrant claims that on February 24, 2021, Pargas Rodriguez invited a woman to a workshop, where he reportedly became violent and verbally abusive. At one terrifying moment, he even pointed a loaded gun to her head, removed the bullet, then reloaded it before aiming at her again—though she managed to escape.

ICE pointed out that Pargas Rodriguez illegally entered the US on August 10, 2022, near Eagle Pass, Texas, after escaping Venezuela.

Interestingly, he had been arrested previously for assault but was released on his own recognizance as his immigration proceedings were still pending. On November 28, 2023, he had another encounter with ICE while in Dallas County Jail.

Recently, a tip led the Texas Department of Public Safety and ICE to locate Pargas Rodriguez in Plano, Texas, on August 14, where he was finally detained.

He remains in custody as the immigration process continues.