Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang linked to murder of 12-year-old Texas girl Jocelyn Nungaray

The illegal migrants accused of brutally killing 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray are believed to be linked to the violent Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, according to police documents. The young victim was lured under a bridge, assaulted, and strangled to death before her body was dumped into a creek on June 16 in Houston, Texas.

Newly released information revealed that investigators from Houston police and the Harris County District Attorney's Office have probed the TikTok accounts of Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, and Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, after obtaining a search warrant to access their devices. Investigators believe to have found a message intended for gang members both within and outside the United States that "involved TdA gang membership," KCPR2 reported.



During the investigation, authorities discovered a set of emojis on one of the suspect's accounts that are known to be used by Venezuelan gang members to identify themselves, including a ninja, cross sword, and a building.

Both Pena Ramos and Martinez have been indicted on capital murder charges. The two suspects illegally entered the US through El Paso, and were released by Biden's border agents after they were apprehended, according to ICE documents. Pena Ramos illegally entered the US on May 28 and Martinez during March.

Pena Ramos allegedly has two-star tattoos and a rose tattoo, both of which are associated with Tren de Aragua, as evidenced by a video that investigators believe shows him on TikTok. Furthermore, investigators are of the opinion that the apparel, shoes, and hand signals depicted in certain social media posts indicate TdA membership.

After learning about the alleged TdA affiliation, Alex Nungaray, the victim's mother, told the network on Tuesday: "It makes it seem more real that these people are monsters and that these are evil people who do heinous things, don't have a heart, who have no compassion for anybody."

"We really have no business burying our kids, they're supposed to bury us," she continued. "This proves that these are very horrible people, and it wasn't an accident that just went too far."

Pena and Ramos allegedly lured Jocelyn under a bridge before they tied her up, took her pants off, and strangled her to death, court documents show. The pair have also been accused of sexually assaulting the victim before dumping her dead body into a creek.