Tren de Aragua Gang ‘Has A Target On Its Back’, Greg Abbott Warns
The notorious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua “has a target on its back”, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has warned, as officers investigate possible links with the suspected killers of Jocelyn Nungaray.
Two illegal immigrants, Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, have been charged with the murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn in Houston last summer.
Search warrants issued to TikTok by Houston Police and investigators from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office have revealed that Martinez-Rangel and Ramos had displayed gang signs on their social media profiles.
Governor Abbott’s press secretary Andrew Mahaleris described Tren de Aragua as a “ruthless organization that has no place in the state of Texas”.
Governor Abbott has recently moved to have them designated as a terrorist organization, boosting the criminal penalties suspected members will face, and announcing a $5,000 reward for information leading to the identification and arrest of known or suspected members involved in criminal activity.
“The price we’ve paid for the federal government’s failure to secure the border has been deadly. Among the many victims is 12 year old Jocelyn Nungary, who was raped and killed by illegal immigrants. If Jocelyn’s killers are in fact Tren de Aragua members, Texas will bring down the full weight of these enhanced criminal penalties on them. Tren de Aragua has target on their back, and the State of Texas is utilizing all available resources to go after them,” Mahaleris said.
Tren de Aragua has been thrust to the forefront of the national conversation surrounding immigration after footage emerged of armed gang members at an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado.
New search warrants issued last month to TikTok by Houston Police and investigators from the Harris County District Attorney’s Office revealed that Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos had displayed signs of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua on their social media profiles.
Jocelyn Nungaray in an undated photo. Authorities are investigating two illegal immigrants charged with the murder of the 12-year-old in Houston last summer over possible connections to the notorious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
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Franklin Pena and Johan Martinez-Rangel have been indicted for capital murder in Harris County, with each facing a $10 million bond following the murder.
Investigators wrote in the warrant, “TdA will use certain slang and emojis in their communications with one another to identify themselves.”
Judge Josh Hill granted a request from Houston Police Department detectives to obtain TikTok records that may confirm Martinez and Pena’s gang connections, strengthening the capital murder charges against them.
Tren de Aragua members often display subtle symbols on social media profiles, such as specific hand signs, wearing Michael Jordan or Chicago Bulls gear, and small tattoos featuring a clock, train, rose, or two stars on the shoulder.
The gang also incorporates certain slang and emojis in communications, such as a ninja, crossed swords, and an icon of a classical building.
TikTok accounts linked to the men display these emojis, with Pena specifically sharing photos of his tattoos, including stars on each shoulder and a rose on his hand.
The suspects in Jocelyn‘s case, both Venezuelan nationals, entered the United States illegally, a spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) previously confirmed to Newsweek.
Martinez and Ramos “illegally entered the U.S. without inspection, parole, or admission by a U.S. immigration officer on an unknown date and at an unknown location,” according to ICE’s statement.
On May 31, 2024, the day he was released from a border patrol facility wearing a GPS ankle monitor, he shared a photo showcasing his Air Jordan shoes. Investigators also noted that the photo seemed to have been taken at Sacred Heart Church in El Paso, Texas, where he stayed following his release.
Nungaray’s body was found in a Houston creek on June 17. Testifying before a House Committee last month, her mother, Alexis Nungaray, revealed that her daughter had been sexually assaulted and strangled to death.
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