Local Police Say Illegal Migrants Arrested For Shootout Have Venezuelan Gang Ties

Local police on Wednesday said two brothers arrested for a July shooting in Aurora, Colorado, are confirmed members of a violent Venezuelan gang, while another two men have suspected ties.

The Aurora Police Department announced that brothers Jhonnarty Dejesus Pacheco-Chirinos and Jhonardy Jose Pacheco-Chirinos are confirmed members of Tren de Aragua, an international criminal organization that originated in Venezuela and has since gained a foothold in the United States. Both men were taken into custody after a shooting on July 28 in Aurora that left two men hospitalized with serious injuries.

The police statement also noted that two other men allegedly involved in the shootout, Dixon Azuaje-Perez and Nixon Azuaje-Perez, are suspected of having ties to the Venezuelan gang.

“Any presence of criminal activity, including gang activity, will not be tolerated,” the Aurora Police Department stated on Wednesday, adding that the two brothers are currently in 🛂Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. “The Aurora Police Department will continue to fight crime; we will find and arrest those responsible.”

All four men are Venezuelan nationals who entered the U.S. through the southern border during the Biden-Harris administration, ICE confirmed to the 🏢Daily Caller News Foundation. Dejesus Pacheco-Chirinos and Jose Pacheco-Chirinos were both encountered by Border Patrol on October 2, 2022, and released into the interior of the country, according to ICE.