Texas authorities are investigating a link between two illegal immigrants accused of raping and murdering a 12-year-old girl and the notorious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
Two suspects – Johan Jose Martinez Rangel, 22, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26 – were charged in June with the brutal murder of Jocelyn Nungaray, 12, in Houston.
Police revealed that the pair, who came to the US illegally from Venezuela, allegedly lured Jocelyn under a bridge, where they held her for more than two hours, and possibly gang-raped her after tying her up.
And in new search warrants, investigators revealed that Rangel and Ramos displayed signs and nicknames associated with the Tren de Aragua gang on their social media.
Jocelyn Nungaray, 12, was found raped and murdered near her home in Houston, Texas, in June
Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, was one of two illegal immigrants charged in Nungaray’s death as investigators investigate a possible link to the Tren de Aragua gang
Authorities have also charged 22-year-old Johan Jose Martinez Rangel with the murder, claiming the two suspects held Nungaray under a bridge for hours before strangling her.
The Tren de Aragua gang has been thrust into the spotlight as the migrant crisis has fueled fears that gang members have crossed the southern border and set up bases in US cities.
In recent months, images have emerged of armed gangsters taking over an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, sparking outrage in the community.
After Rangel and Ramos’ arrest, investigators wrote in the most recent arrest warrants that Tren de Aragua “will use certain slang and emojis in their communications with each other to identify themselves.”
The arrest warrants prompted a judge to grant a request from Houston police to obtain social media data that could verify the suspect’s gang ties, which could strengthen the case against them, reports Newsweek.
The signs associated with the gang reportedly include specific hand signs, wearing Chicago Bulls or Michael Jordan merchandise, and small shoulder tattoos such as clocks, trains, roses and two stars.
On social media, members use emojis, including a ninja, crossed swords and a classic building, to let others know they are part of the gang.
On TikTok, Ramos reportedly shared photos of his tattoos with followers, including a rose on his hand and two stars on each shoulder.
The arrests of Rangel (pictured) and Ramos in June sparked outrage when ICE revealed they had entered the US illegally
Police say the suspects allegedly shared Tren de Aragua signs on social media, which included specific hand gestures, wearing Chicago Bulls or Michael Jordan merchandise and small shoulder tattoos such as clocks, trains, roses and two stars.
Nungaray’s body was found near her Houston home after she snuck out late at night
The arrests of Rangel and Ramos in June sparked outrage when ICE revealed they had entered the U.S. illegally, at a time when millions of undocumented migrants were flooding the southern border.
Both Rangel and Ramos had both been arrested by U.S. Border Patrol in recent months but were released. It is not clear when the couple entered the country.
According to ICE, Border Patrol stopped Rangel near El Paso on March 14 but was subsequently released with a notice to appear. Investigators said he was wearing an ankle monitor and then shared an image on social media showing Air Jordan shoes.
Investigators added in the filing that he is believed to have taken the photo at Sacred Heart Church in El Paso, Texas, a makeshift migrant shelter where he stayed after being released.
Months later, Ramos was also arrested near El Paso on May 28. A judge later ordered him to appear in court. Both men are now in the Harris County Jail.
Jocelyn’s tragic murder occurred on June 16, hours after she left her home around 10 p.m. and her body was found floating in a nearby bay.
After allegedly holding Jocelyn hostage under a bridge for two hours and raping her, the two suspects allegedly strangled the 12-year-old.
This last image of Jocelyn shows her entering a convenience store near her home. There she encountered the two men believed to be responsible for ending her life
It is believed Jocelyn first met the two men when she went to a supermarket
Police had released images of two persons of interest seen with Jocelyn hours before her death after sneaking out of her home late Sunday night.
Officers said the suspects lived on the same block as the girl and encountered the pre-teen while walking her to a convenience store.
Surveillance footage shows her calling her 13-year-old boyfriend from the convenience store around midnight that evening and later walking into the store herself.
Speaking to ABC13, passerby Billie Jackson explained how he found the girl’s body.
“I was driving by and when I looked along the creek I thought it was a mannequin. I made a U-turn and stopped on the bridge, turned on my blinkers, looked down and realized it was someone. I parked here and immediately called 911.”
Jocelyn’s grieving mother, Alexis Nungary, said after her daughter’s body was found she struggled to come to terms with the tragedy.
“It’s like it’s not real,” she told Click2Houston. “I keep hearing everything, and I hear it and it doesn’t register.”