Police in Rensselaer, New York, have arrested two illegal aliens from Venezuela in connection with a murder investigation in Stamford, Connecticut.
Moises Alejadro Candollo-Urbaneja and Gregory Marlyn Galindez-Trias were arrested walking with two children after using an ATM card belonging to the homicide victim. They have been described as “suspects” in the murder by the Albany Times Union.
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One of the children has been identified as an American, while the other is from Venezuela. Both have been turned over to Rensselaer County Child Protective Services.
Angel Samaniego, 59, was killed on October 14, 2024, after being found with a “gunshot wound of chest,” Stamford Police reported.
Galindez-Trias, Candollo-Urbaneja, and one of the children between the ages of 1 and 3 are in the country illegally, according to officials. They were found using Samaniego’s ATM card and being in possession of the victim’s personal belongings.
Fox News reporter Bill Melugin identified the female as having been caught and released at the border in Fort Brown, Texas, in 2022. The male suspect was one of the many “gotaways” allowed to roam free under the Biden-Harris administration.
The victim was in the country legally, underscoring that legal immigrants, too, are in danger from unvetted illegals.
NEW: Police in Rensselaer, NY announce the arrests of two suspected Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang members in connection to the shooting murder & robbery of a 59-year-old man at a hotel in Stamford, CT. Both illegal aliens were found w/ the victim’s stolen possessions. I’m told… pic.twitter.com/gCdIFmcFUl
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 18, 2024
Rensselaer police believe both suspects have ties to Tren de Aragua, while Galindez-Trias specifically expressed concerns over what the gang might do now that she’s been arrested.
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The Miami Herald has previously described Tren de Aragua as a “bloodthirsty” gang with “many” members known for their “wanton use of violence.”
The gang operates as an “umbrella organization for smaller gangs specialized in all types of crimes, from kidnapping, extortion and drug trafficking to prostitution, robbery and murders for hire,” the Herald reports.
Meanwhile, the two suspects are desperately trying to get back to Connecticut.
“I want to be with my kids,” Galindez-Trias told the judge during a hearing on Thursday, while Crandollo-Urbaneja added, “I just want to go to Connecticut to face the charges.”
The Venezuelan illegal aliens were arrested as fugitives from justice and held on a $2 million bond for possession of stolen property in New York. Additionally, they are wanted for a host of other charges in Connecticut, including first-degree larceny and first-degree identity theft.
The Times Union also reports that Galindez-Trias had a New York City immigration identity card on her person during the arrest.
IDNYC is a free government-issued photo ID card for people living in New York City, allowing them to access City services and benefits, including SNAP, Cash Assistance, and Section 8. It also allows them to apply for health insurance.
Former President Donald Trump last week announced a program called “Operation Aurora” that would remove “every illegal migrant criminal network operating on American soil,” including illegal alien members of Tren de Aragua.
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Trump intends to make use of the Alien Enemies Act — part of the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 — to target suspected gang members, drug dealers, and cartel members.
The law states that a president may order non-citizens “to be apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed as alien enemies” when he or she is deemed as coming from a “hostile nation.”
Democrats have attempted to repeal the wartime law being cited by Trump. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN), in introducing the Neighbors Not Enemies Act in 2020, described the Alien Enemies Act as “outdated and xenophobic.”
The Biden-Harris administration last year granted hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan illegals permission to live and work in the country temporarily.
Simultaneously, videos posted by Melugin on X showed thousands casually walking across the border away from legal ports of entry.
It’s a total free for all in Eagle Pass right now. Mass illegal crossing taking place for over an hour and a half. Almost 2 years to the day we saw 15,000+ Haitians under the bridge in Del Rio, we now have thousands of predominantly Venezuelans gathering under Eagle Pass bridge. pic.twitter.com/VkfUQnexGZ
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) September 20, 2023
The onslaught of illegal activity prompted Texas Governor Greg Abbott to announce on X that he had officially “declared an invasion.”
I officially declared an invasion at our border because of Biden’s policies.
We deployed the Texas National Guard, DPS & local law enforcement.
We are building a border wall, razor wire & marine barriers.
We are also repelling migrants.
More: https://t.co/dEivr1lL2n pic.twitter.com/hzCl6ouTVJ
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) September 20, 2023
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The program was not extended, and those from Venezuela will just this month start losing their parole status.
News of these two Venezuelan illegals being arrested as suspects in connection to a homicide highlights how the invasion ushered in under border czar Kamala Harris has effects that are far-reaching — in this case, leading to a victim in Stamford, Connecticut, and danger to a small community in upstate New York.
It isn’t just border states that are suffering.
