Two suspected Venezuelan gang members were released after being arrested in connection with a shooting in Aurora, Colorado, near an apartment complex allegedly infiltrated by the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang. The two suspects had entered the U.S. using the Biden-Harris administration’s CBP One app.
According to the New York Post, Venezuelan brothers Dixon Azuaje-Perez, 20, and Nixon Azuaje-Perez, 19, who were charged with attempting to tamper with evidence in the July shooting, were released after each posted a $1,000 bond.
This release occurred despite Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issuing detainers for their arrest. The brothers are two of four individuals arrested in connection with the shooting; the other two are Jhonnarty Dejesus Pacheco-Chirinos and Jhonardy Jose Pacheco-Chirinos, both identified as documented members of the Tren de Aragua gang.
The Azuaje-Perez brothers are now being monitored with a GPS system and are reportedly near an apartment complex in Denver, according to sources who spoke to the Post. The Aurora Police Department confirmed that the two suspected gang members are “no longer in custody.”
“Sanctuary cities do not protect United States citizens; they only protect criminals,” said former Denver ICE director John Fabbricatore. “As we see in this case, two individuals allowed entry via the CBP One app were involved in a shooting and were released due to sanctuary policy, with ICE not being notified. These two men could now potentially commit more crimes in the community.”
The brothers entered the U.S. in August last year through Eagle Pass, Texas, using the CBP One app. The app is listed as an exception for entry when the border is shut down due to being “overwhelmed,” under an executive action by the Biden-Harris administration in April. The Harris administration has supported this aspect of her immigration policy.
Neither Dixon nor Nixon Azuaje-Perez had any other documentation for entry in 2023, as reported by the outlet. The CBP One app allows individuals to create a profile without any identifying paperwork, with the only biometric requirement being a photograph.
The gang members initially told authorities they were heading to New York but ended up involved in a shooting a year later in Aurora, Colorado. Sanctuary policies in the area have faced heavy criticism after a video surfaced showing other Venezuelan gang members parading around an apartment complex with firearms.