Law enforcement officials in upstate New York recently apprehended two Venezuelan migrants who are allegedly residing illegally in the United States. These arrests, occurring Wednesday, are connected to a murder investigation, with authorities suspecting links to the notorious international crime organization, Tren de Aragua. Officers detained 24-year-old Gregory Marlyn Galindez-Trias and 22-year-old Moises Alejandro Condollo-Urbaneja in Rensselaer, New York. Their arrest followed an alleged use of a stolen credit card at a nearby Amtrak station.
Investigation revealed that the credit card belonged to a Stamford, Connecticut, resident, Angel Samaniego, who was fatally shot at a Super 8 Hotel earlier in the week. While the motive for Samaniego’s murder remains unclear, evidence suggests potential gang affiliations. Rensselaer Police Department (RPD) spokespersons confirmed Galindez-Trias and Condollo-Urbaneja as Venezuelan nationals unlawfully present in the United States. Tattoos found on both individuals reportedly associate them with Tren de Aragua.
RPD Deputy Chief John Mooney shared on Friday about the ongoing probes into their potential linkages to the gang. In a related incident captured earlier in Los Angeles, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers detained an illegal immigrant with a criminal record. During the arrests in Rensselaer, two young children, aged one and three, were with Trias and Condollo-Urbaneja. They have since been placed under the care of Rensselaer County Protective Services, with Trias identified as their parent.
In court proceedings, Trias confessed, through a translator, her fears of possible reprisals from Tren de Aragua following her capture. Requests for further comments from ICE representatives related to Trias and Condollo-Urbaneja remain unanswered. This case emerges amid growing incidents linked to Tren de Aragua in the United States. Reports point to the gang establishing control over various housing complexes in Aurora, Colorado, and San Antonio, Texas, implicating them in numerous crimes nationwide.
The rise of Tren de Aragua correlates with increased Venezuelan immigration, with over 570,000 Venezuelan nationals reportedly entering the U.S. illegally since fiscal year 2021, per Customs and Border Protection data. Moreover, the Biden-Harris administration’s CHNV migrant flight program has authorized roughly 121,000 Venezuelan entries, further contributing to the immigrant influx. The Daily Caller News Foundation, responsible for producing this content independently and nonpartisanly, provides it free to reputable news publishers with broad reach.
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