Venezuelan gang member arrested in Cobb for Chicago murders

A member of the Venezuelan street gang Tren De Aragua was arrested Thursday in Cobb County for the murders of two people in Chicago, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.Cobb Sheriff's Office

The DOJ said in a release that Ricardo Gonzales, 32, was taken into custody on an arrest warrant in Cook County, Ill, as he is a suspect in multiple kidnapping and murder cases.

Authorities say he is a “high-ranking” member of Tren De Aragua, which has been classified as a transnational criminal organization and as a criminal terrorist organization by the U.S. government.

According to the Cobb Sheriff’s Office, Gonzales was listed residing at an apartment on Hidden Glen Drive, located near Delk Road and Cobb Parkway, and was arrested there early on Thursday morning.

He is being held without bond at the Cobb Adult Detention Center as a fugitive from justice, according to his booking report.

The DOJ said he is awaiting extradition to Chicago on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted first-degree murder.

The DOJ said that five other people were arrested as Gonzales was being detained and were transferred to detention facilities run by the department’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unit.

According to the DOJ, Gonzales was accused of kidnapping three female victims on Jan. 28 and taking them to an alley in Chicago where they were all shot in the head.

Law enforcement in Chicago said two of the women died, and the surviving victim was able to escape and call 911.

“This defendant’s crimes against American women are horrific, and he is exactly the type of Alien Enemy the Trump administration is fighting to remove from this country in order to make America safe again,” U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in the release.

In recent weeks, several members of the Tren De Aragua gang have been arrested by U.S. authorities under the Alien Enemies Act, dating from 1798, in an attempt to deport violent illegal immigrants.

The DOJ didn’t indicate Gonzales’ immigration status, nor was there any mention of that on his Cobb jail booking report.

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