ICE Captures Venezuelan Gangsters Who Went Viral With Assault Rifle Raid

Two Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang members in a viral video showing armed men at an apartment complex were arrested in New York City on November 27.

TdA has been thrust to the forefront of the national conversation surrounding immigration after footage emerged of armed gang members at the apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado.

The two men were reportedly among the armed individuals captured in a viral security camera video that drew international attention.

Danyeer Aramillo Meneses, 23, and Edilson Pena Angulo, 25, identified as members of the infamous Venezuelan street gang, were taken into federal custody during a Tuesday night raid, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Both men were in the U.S. unlawfully, according to a spokesperson for ICE.

Pena and Aramillo are suspected of being involved in a shooting that occurred in Aurora on August 18.

Both men faced charges of two felonies—first-degree burglary and menacing with a firearm—in the Aurora case but had not been arrested until now.

It remains unknown at this stage how or when the two men got to New York City.

A spokesperson for ICE told Newsweek: “Denyeer Aramillo Meneses, 23, and Edison Pena Angulo, 25, are unlawfully present citizens of Venezuela and confirmed members of transnational criminal organization Tren de Aragua.”

“Homeland Security Investigations New York Violent Gang Task Force members arrested Aramillo and Pena Nov. 27 after the execution of a federal search warrant issued by the Southern District of New York.

“Both noncitizens were transported to 26 Federal Plaza for processing and detention by Enforcement and Removal Operations New York City.”

U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) initially encountered Pena in El Paso, Texas, on April 29, 2023, after he entered the country unlawfully. USBP issued him a notice to appear and released him on his own recognizance, according to ICE.

He was later arrested by the Westminster Police Department in Colorado on local charges. On February 23, 2024, an immigration judge ordered Pena’s removal in absentia to Venezuela after he failed to appear in court, the spokesperson added.

USBP encountered Aramillo on September 10, 2023, in El Paso, Texas, after he also unlawfully entered the United States. He was arrested by USBP, issued a notice to appear, and released on his own recognizance on September 14, 2023. On August 19, he was arrested by the Aurora Police Department in Colorado on local charges. Aramillo will remain in ICE custody pending criminal and immigration proceedings.

Both men are now in ICE custody pending criminal and immigration proceedings.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has recently moved to have Tren de Aragua 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.

Abbott’s press secretary Andrew Mahaleris previously told Newsweek: “Tren de Aragua has a target on their back, and the State of Texas is utilizing all available resources to go after them.”

Gang members or associates have been connected to a series of high-profile crimes, including the murders of Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray, as well as the takeover of a hotel in El Paso.

President-elect Donald Trump has said he will crack on on gangs and crime syndicates after he returns to the White House.

“The drug cartels are waging war on America—and it’s now time for America to wage war on the cartels,” Trump said in a statement in 2023. “The drug cartels and their allies in the Biden administration have the blood of countless millions on their hands. Millions and millions of families and people are being destroyed.

“When I am back in the White House, the drug kingpins and vicious traffickers will never sleep soundly again.”