Brother of Laken Riley murder suspect likely a Venezuelan gang member: court docs

According to WSBTV, a motion has been filed requesting the detention of Diego Ibarra, the brother of Venezuelan national Jose Ibarra suspected in the murder of the 22-year-old nursing student on the University of Georgia campus as she was out jogging on Feb. 22.

Jose was arrested the next day and charged with murder. Diego was also detained after police determined that he showed them a fake green card.

Diego is scheduled for a probable cause and detention hearing on Thursday, at which time the US Attorney’s Office will also present the government’s motion to detain him in Macon.

The new documents obtained by the outlet revealed that following Riley’s murder, law enforcement circulated photos of a man they considered a suspect in a baseball cap with an Adidas logo on it.

The following day, officers saw a man wearing an identical hat in the parking lot of the Argo apartments who identified himself as Diego Ibarra. He was taken into custody after officers asked him for identification and he produced a fake green card, according to court documents.

The documents also detail Diego’s extensive criminal history from the time he first tried to enter the US in April 2023. He was arrested for DUI and shoplifting but was released. Jose was with Deigo during one of the shoplifting incidents at a Walmart.

According to prosecutors, Diego is likely a member of a Venezuelan prison gang called Tren de Arugua, as determined by the distinctive tattoos that he has, including a five-pointed crown, five-pointed stars, and a teardrop.

Deigo also posted pictures of himself on social media displaying distinctive hand gestures used by members of the gang and wearing Chicago Bulls gear, typically worn by members as gang colors.

In pictures, Diego can also be seen brandishing firearms, which he was not allowed to possess as a non-US citizen.

It is currently unknown if Jose Ibarra was a member of Tren de Arugua.

Jose entered the US in September along with his wife and her 5-year-old son where the family applied for asylum and were transported to New York. He was previously arrested for child endangerment, was released and the record sealed. After he and his wife separated, Jose went to Georgia, where his brother was living.

During his first term in office, President Joe Biden expanded the asylum process, and allowed those seeking asylum to wait in the US pending trial, often several years later.