A House Judiciary Committee report has revealed details about a Venezuelan illegal immigrant who has committed 22 crimes in the United States in the space of just six months, but is still unlikely to face deportation.
Daniel Hernandez-Martinez was released into the United States by the Biden administration early last year and is believed to be a member of the “Tren de Aragua” gang. Despite committing a string of offenses, Hernandez-Martinez was not detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents until his seventh encounter with the New York Police Department. Nevertheless, the report notes that it is still unclear whether ICE has removed him from America.
The Venezuelan’s alleged crime spree includes assaults, theft, weapons possession, and attacking police officers.
A New York media investigation has further revealed that Hernandez-Martinez was previously deported from the US but simply walked back in. The same investigation also found that he had served a brief prison sentence in Rikers Island jail but was released last November. He is one of a growing number of foreign gang members thought to be terrorizing American cities.
Law enforcement agencies have opened more than 100 investigations into crimes allegedly committed by members of the Tren de Aragua gang in the US. Additionally, law enforcement agencies say it is near-impossible for them to gain information on the suspected gangsters’ past because Venezuelan officials refuse to help them.
Data shows that 330,000 Venezuelans crossed the US southern border last year, and a former Border Patrol agent, Ammon Blair, said American authorities have “no idea” who they are. New York Police Department has given such individuals a nickname and refers to them as “ghost criminals.” Jason Savino, assistant chief of detectives for the NYPD, said, “Their identity may be misrepresented; their date of birth may be misrepresented.” He added that the only way to identify some of the suspects they deal with is through their gang affiliation tattoos.
As well as refusing to provide information on suspected criminals, Venezuelan authorities also routinely refuse to take back their citizens from the United States.