Four members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court today to the May 2024 murders of two unarmed American citizens in the Bronx.
Keiber Jaen Martinez, Samuel Gonzalez Castro, Eferson Morillo-Gomez, and Keineyer Ibarra-Mujica each entered guilty pleas before U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote. They admitted to two counts of murder through the use of a firearm and one count of using a firearm during a crime of violence. The charges stem from the May 24, 2024, fatal shootings of Claretha LaQuesha Daniels, 44, and Justin Lawless, 36, near 2290 Davidson Avenue. A third unarmed victim survived multiple gunshot wounds.
Federal prosecutors stated the defendants entered the country illegally and operated as part of TdA, which has been designated a foreign terrorist organization. According to court documents, the gang’s operations in New York City, including the Bronx and Queens, involved human smuggling, the sex trafficking of Venezuelan women, and the distribution of “tusi,” a synthetic drug mixture containing ketamine.
With today’s pleas, all eight defendants currently in custody under this specific Southern District of New York prosecution have been convicted. Last week, a fifth co-defendant, Jarwin Valero-Calderon, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and firearm charges linked to a September 2024 armed carjacking. Three other co-defendants previously pleaded guilty and have already been sentenced.
Law enforcement officials noted the timing of the convictions coincides with the two-year anniversary of the shooting, which occurred over Memorial Day weekend in 2024. The investigation was conducted by the multi-agency Homeland Security Task Force, Joint Task Force Vulcan, Homeland Security Investigations, and the New York City Police Department.
“Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners and prosecutors, these four Tren de Aragua gang members will now face justice for their part in the ruthless and senseless murders of two Americans and the attempted murder of a third person in the Bronx two years ago,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Tren de Aragua is a terrorist organization with no place and no future in the United States, and this Department of Justice will not stop until we have rooted out, dismantled and destroyed them.”
“I’m thankful that the victims and their families finally get the justice they deserve,” said U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are targeting and removing gang members from our communities and ensuring those that committed crimes in our country face justice.”
“This recent Memorial Day Sunday marked a tragic date: two years to the day that Ms. Daniels and Mr. Lawless lost their lives,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York. “We extend our deep condolences to the family members of these victims and hope that today’s guilty pleas bring some measure of comfort to them. We are committed to investigating and charging all members of TdA who illegally entered this country and then flooded the streets of New York City with guns, drugs, sex trafficking, and violence.”
“Although TdA started as a prison gang in Venezuela, it became a transnational criminal organization and foreign terrorist organization that gained a foothold in many cities in the United States, including New York City,” said Director Jacob Warren of Joint Task Force Vulcan. “To date, we have charged over 260 members and associates of TdA as part of these efforts.”
“The NYPD will not allow violent gangs to terrorize our streets and threaten our communities,” said New York City Police Department Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “These defendants, members of Tren de Aragua, viciously took two lives and shot a third victim, but thanks to our multi-agency investigation, they are now being held accountable.”
The four primary defendants face maximum penalties of life in prison for each of the murder counts, alongside a mandatory consecutive five-year prison sentence for the firearm count. Under federal guidelines, the final sentences will be determined by Judge Cote at a later date.
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