By EFE
27 Jun 2024, 01:36 AM EDT
The Organization of Politically Persecuted Venezuelans in Exile (Veppex), based in Miami, expressed its deep revulsion at the rape and murder in Texas of a minor at the hands of two migrants of that nationality and asked the Prosecutor’s Office to request the penalty. capital.
“It is very sad that innocent people in the United States are victims of atrocious crimes by Venezuelan immigrants, which demonstrate the failure of a revolution that is exporting criminals outside the borders of Venezuela,” said Veppex president José Antonio Colina, in a statement.
Arrested by Houston police
The body of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray was found in a creek in north Houston last week with signs of violence.
The alleged perpetrators of the crime, Franklin José Peña Ramos, 26, and Johan José Martínez Rangel, 22, were arrested a few days after the Houston Police released several images of the two immigrants talking to the minor.
According to court documents, the suspects allegedly lured the girl under a bridge, took off her pants, tied her up and then strangled her before dumping her body in the swamp, where it was found early Monday morning.
Both had been detained at the border
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed to media that Peña Ramos and Martínez Rangel were recently detained at the border by immigration authorities and released with electronic shackles and an order to appear in immigration court.
A Texas judge imposed a $10 million bail on both of them due to the existence of a high flight risk.
Nungaray’s tragic death has once again fueled anti-immigrant rhetoric from Republicans and former President Donald Trump’s campaign. At a rally he mentioned the murder of Jocelyn Nungaray for which the two Venezuelans who recently entered the country were arrested, and also referred to four other investigations to which immigrants are linked.
Joe Biden came out against the criminalization of immigrants on Tuesday and accused Trump of taking advantage of these tragedies to dehumanize them.
They ask the Prosecutor’s Office for capital punishment
Veppex states in the statement that the Venezuelan community living in the United States is greatly affected by “crimes committed by immigrants from our country who have recently entered the United States.”
For this reason, it urges the Prosecutor’s Office in charge of the investigations of this case to “request the capital punishment for these two criminals from Venezuela”, so that justice is done and “a message is sent to those who want to continue carrying out crimes.” atrocious acts in the United States.”
A Gallup poll in February found that immigration has become Americans’ top concern, with 55% saying “the large number of immigrants entering the United States illegally” are a critical threat to vital interests. from the country.
Keep reading:
- The findings on the cell phone of Johan José Martínez Rangel, one of those accused of murdering the minor Jocelyn Nungaray in Texas
- Venezuelan man accused of killing 12-year-old girl in Texas tried to flee the US, prosecutors say
- A Venezuelan migrant was found murdered inside the vehicle where he lived: it happened in Denver