(NewsNation) — Two Tren de Aragua gang members tied to a viral video showing armed men at an Aurora, Colorado apartment complex were arrested in New York City this week, law enforcement sources confirmed to NewsNation.
Danyeer Aramillo Meneses, 23, and Edilson Pena Angulo, 25 — members of the notorious Venezuelan street gang — were taken into federal custody during a Tuesday night raid, sources told NewsNation.
Both men were in the U.S. illegally, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokesperson said in a statement.
The two Tren de Aragua members were allegedly among the armed men seen in a viral security camera video that garnered international attention. In the video, men can be seen walking up a stairwell carrying weapons at an Aurora apartment complex.
Pena and Aramillo were also suspected of being involved in an Aug. 18 shooting in Aurora.
Both men were charged with two felonies, first-degree burglary and menacing with a firearm, in the Aurora case but hadn’t been arrested until now.
How they got to New York City or when they arrived is unclear. Sources told NewsNation that the two are in federal custody but their federal indictments remain under seal so it remains to be seen what new charges they could be facing.
U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) originally encountered Pena in El, Paso, Texas on April 29, 2023, after he entered the country illegally. USBP issued him a notice to appear and released him on his own recognizance, according to the ICE spokesperson. He was later arrested in Colorado on local charges. An immigration judge ordered Pena removed to Venezuela on Feb. 23, 2024, after he didn’t appear in court, the spokesperson said.
USBP encountered Aramillo on Sept. 10, 2023, in El Paso, Texas after he entered the United States illegally. He was issued a notice to appear and released. The Aurora Police Department issued an arrest warrant for Aramillo on local charges on Aug. 19, the ICE spokesperson said.
Both men are now in ICE custody pending criminal and immigration proceedings.
Tuesday’s raid was carried out by an NYPD gang task force in coordination with federal agents.
The latest arrests are part of an ongoing crackdown by law enforcement as the Venezuelan gang continues to expand its foothold in the United States.
Tren de Aragua is one of the fastest-growing transnational criminal organizations and the gang has reportedly established itself in 16 U.S. states.
Earlier this month, Jose Ibarra, a Tren de Aragua member, was sentenced to life without parole in the death of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley.