The brother of the illegal migrant suspected of brutally killing Laken Riley has ties to a violent Venezuelan organized crime gang, according to federal prosecutors.
Diego lbarra, 29, was previously arrested and charged with possession of a fake green card after he handed it over to police while they searched for his brother.
His younger brother, José Antonio Ibarra, 26, has been charged with murdering Augusta University student Laken Riley, 22, after he hit her with an unknown object on February 22.
Federal authorities have since discovered that Diego has ties to the Venezuela-based Tren de Aragua gang, a violent gang that has been trying to gain a foothold in the United States.
The revelation of the gang relationship comes as Riley’s parents declined an invitation to attend Thursday’s State of the Union address so they could mourn the brutal murder of the nursing student.
Diego lbarra, 29, brother of the illegal migrant suspected of brutally killing Laken Riley, has ties to the violent Venezuelan organized crime gang Tren de Aragua.
Her younger brother, José Antonio Ibarra, 26, has been charged with murdering Laken Riley, 22, a nursing student at Augusta University, after he hit her with an unknown object on February 22.
Jose is accused of using an unknown object to kill Riley and prevent her from making a 911 call when he allegedly grabbed her between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the day of her murder.
The Tren de Aragua gang, also known as TdA, has made its way into New York City, Texas, Florida, Illinois and Georgia, as well as South and Central America. The group has also been linked to the violent assault on NYPD officers in January.
Investigators discovered several photos posted on social media of Diego with him dressed in Chicago Bulls basketball, something Tda members are known to wear, according to prosecutors.
“TdA members frequently wear Chicago Bulls basketball gear, even if they have no connection to Chicago or the Bulls,” prosecutors said.
Homeland Security investigators also found photos of Diego making gang hand signs online, along with identifying tattoos such as stars, clocks, trains, guns and crowns.
More photos of him with firearms were found online, even though illegal immigrants in the United States are not legally allowed to own guns.
“Ibarra is a citizen of Venezuela and was processed for expedited removal, but claimed to have a credible fear of returning to Venezuela,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia wrote in a statement.
“Accordingly, he was released from immigration custody pending the adjudication of his asylum claim on April 30, 2024.”
A month after that, he allegedly cut off the ankle monitor placed on him by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He later found himself in Colorado, but by then Diego had already arrived in Athens, Georgia.
While in Georgia, Diego had multiple run-ins with police and was charged with multiple counts of DUI, was accused of stealing his girlfriend’s phone, and reportedly shoplifted from two different Walmart stores.
Diego has been detained since late February while facing federal charges for possession of a false green card.
Ibarra’s father was arrested by Athens-Clarke County police because he matched the description of the alleged killer.
Police discovered a photo of Diego on social media making hand signs for the gang (left). They also found images of him wearing Chicago Bulls basketball gear, something Tda members (right) are known to wear.
Jose was arrested at his apartment complex near the running track near where Riley’s body was found on February 22.
Georgia Rep. Mike Collins invited Riley’s parents to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Thursday, but they declined the invitation to mourn the loss of their beloved daughter.
Georgia Rep. Mike Collins invited Riley’s parents to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on Thursday, but they declined so they could mourn the loss of their beloved daughter.
“I invited Laken Riley’s parents to the State of the Union address, but they understandably decided to stay home while they grieve the loss of their daughter,” Collins posted on X on Wednesday.
“Therefore, the seat reserved for my guest will remain empty in honor of Laken and all American victims of crimes committed by illegal aliens.”
“As Joe Biden attempts to paint a rosy picture of the crime-ridden country he has created, he will look toward an empty seat commemorating those we have lost due to his open border policies,” he added.
Jose was arrested at his apartment complex near the running track near where Riley’s body was found on February 22.
He is accused of using an unknown object to kill Riley and preventing her from making a 911 call when he allegedly grabbed her between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the day of her murder.
Riley’s body was found the same day on the University of Georgia campus, in a wooded area near Herrick Lake that includes trails popular with runners and walkers.
Police said Riley died from “blunt trauma” after being beaten and suffered a “disfigured skull.”
They added that José dragged her body to a secluded area to hide the death, according to an arrest affidavit seen by CBS News.
Riley was out jogging on the University of Georgia campus when she was attacked. Police said Riley died from “blunt trauma” after being beaten and that she suffered a “disfigured skull.”
A funeral was held for Riley on Friday as his family and friends gathered at the Woodstock City Church outside of Atlanta, Georgia, to say their final goodbyes.
Neighbors of the Venezuelan migrant have since said that he was watching the road running all day and was seen on security cameras throwing bloody clothes on the day of the attack.
‘He took all the evidence. “She’s on camera with her bloody clothes in a bag,” a neighbor said.
He added that he had seen Riley walk through the complex before to get to the jogging path and stated that Ibarra had probably seen the student before because he sat outside all day.
The 26-year-old crossed into El Paso, Texas, in September 2022, but was released from a detention center due to lack of space.
He was charged in Riley’s murder with felony murder, false imprisonment, kidnapping and concealing the death of another person.
A funeral was held for Riley on Friday as his family and friends gathered at Woodstock City Church outside of Atlanta, Georgia, to say their final goodbyes.
Hundreds of mourners lined up outside the church Friday in the pouring rain to pay their final respects to Riley. A long line formed outside the visitation, where a photo slideshow was projected on television screens inside the church’s large auditorium.
Some people wiped away tears as they passed the casket, which was at the front of the auditorium and flanked by photographs of Riley and bouquets of flowers.