(WatchDogReport.org) – A June 26 hearing for an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, who was served a 20-count indictment for shooting two officers of the New York City Police Department, revealed that members of a criminal organization smuggle weapons into illegal immigrants’ shelters.
The criminal organization in question is the Tren de Aragua, which is currently one of the most dangerous gangs in South America, created by a former Venezuelan union in a Venezuelan prison. Independent investigations have revealed that the Tren de Aragua managed to grow with the help of Venezuela’s socialist regime, which is currently using it as a death squad in some South American nations to kill or kidnap political dissidents.
During the hearing, prosecutors shared some tapes of the suspect, Bernardo Castro, that were made while in a hospital after some injuries he suffered following a struggle with police officers during his arrest on June 3. In the recording, the 19-year-old Venezuelan illegal migrant confessed he was part of the Tren de Aragua but didn’t clarify if he became a member in the United States or Venezuela.
He also revealed that he was working for DoorDash in New York City and explained that Tren de Aragua was hiding weapons inside the food delivery packages, and he was ordered to deliver these to the shelters. Castro added that the criminal organization is executing this modus operandi because it’s the safest way of smuggling weapons into New York City shelters without having to go “through metal detectors.”
A news release from Queen District Attorney’s office said that, during the hearing, authorities slapped Castro with charges of two counts of first- and second-degree attempted murder. Officers Richard Yarusso and Christopher Abreu were looking to detain Castro on June 3 for driving on a one-way street in the wrong way and for failing to wear a helmet while driving an unregistered motorcycle. The release detailed that once they detained him, Castro shot the two officers, who then shot him back in his ankle and handcuffed him.
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