AURORA, Colo. — Two men believed to be associated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) were arrested in Aurora in connection with a Dallas, Texas-area murder investigation, police announced this week.
Carlos Luis Zambrano Bolivar, 25, and Jhonata Nahin Toro Gonzalez, 22, have been charged with capital murder and two counts of aggravated kidnapping in connection with the Aug. 24 murder of Nilzult Arneaud Petit in Farmers Branch, Texas, according to the Farmers Branch Police Department.
Bolivar and Gonzalez had been taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) when Farmers Branch detectives traveled to Aurora on Sept. 24 to interview the two suspects about Petit’s murder, the department said in a news release.
A third suspect, Ehiker Alexander Morales Mendoza, 38, was taken into custody in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on Oct. 11. Police are searching for a fourth suspect, Jhonny Jesus Martinez Serrano, 29.
Police said the victim’s body was located in a roadway in the early morning hours of Aug. 24. He died from a single gunshot wound to the head, according to police.
Investigators said the four suspects and the victim were involved in “a complex ATM theft operation targeting several locations nationwide.”
Police said Petit was forcibly taken from a Dallas-area apartment complex on Aug. 24 and killed because the other suspects accused Petit of withholding portions of the stolen money from the alleged ATM theft operation.
Bolivar and Gonzalez are currently awaiting extradition to Texas.
Aurora
Aurora PD was aware of TdA operations in the city last fall, emails seem to show
Aurora police have been aware of TdA operating in the city since at least last November, according to emails made public last month. They have arrested multiple members of the gang in connection with a July shooting in the city and a viral video showing armed men inside an apartment complex.
In a statement, Homeland Security Investigations Dallas said gangs like Tren de Aragua are a plaque upon communities:
Three Tren de Aragua gang members wanted by @HSIDallas and @FBPDTX for murder in Texas have been taken into custody in Colorado and New Mexico by our partners @HSIElPaso, @ERODenver, @USMarshalsHQ and the U.S. Border Patrol. Details: https://t.co/Ixg6iGHuFW pic.twitter.com/AkXiftyjg1
— HSI Dallas (@HSI_Dallas) November 1, 2024
Anyone with information about the whereabouts of the fourth suspect is asked to contact the Farmers Branch Police Department at 972-919-1406 or via email at pdinfoandtips@farmersbranchtx.gov. Individuals contacting the Farmers Branch Police Department with information can remain anonymous.