A suspect wished within the Dominican Republic in connection to 2 murders and a suspected gang member seen in a viral video coming into a Colorado condominium together with his alleged gun-toting crew have been arrested by federal brokers as a part of ramped-up immigration enforcement in New York Metropolis.
Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem joined federal brokers Tuesday within the metropolis to announce the arrests of dozens of immigrants wished on prison fees within the Bronx and Washington Heights. Noem was the most recent high-ranking official from President Donald Trump’s administration to tout the brand new sweeping immigration crackdown.
Unique video obtained by NBC New York confirmed federal brokers swarming right into a Washington Heights constructing, hours after an analogous sting within the Bronx. One video confirmed a person in handcuffs being led away from his residence on Audubon Avenue. It was not clear what fees the person, who was not recognized, confronted. The constructing tremendous advised NBC New York the person had lived there for some time and will have labored as a supply driver.
An operation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) brokers alongside Ogden Avenue within the Bronx early Tuesday snared Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco. Authorities mentioned the 26-year-old was a part of a gaggle of males, together with members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, who entered an condominium in Aurora, Colorado, in Summer time 2024 and have been recorded on a extensively seen video.
The fees have been introduced by native authorities in Colorado. It was not instantly clear what would occur subsequent for Zambrano-Pacheco, who was taken into ICE custody. Two different males who police mentioned have been within the video have been arrested in New York in November. They have been nonetheless in ICE custody as of Tuesday.
The incident caught President Donald Trump’s consideration throughout the presidential marketing campaign, and he introduced a plan known as “Operation Aurora” to focus on migrant gangs. The video led Trump to say that the Denver suburb had been taken over by the gang, which metropolis officers denied.
In an arrest warrant, Aurora police mentioned Zambrano-Pacheco was additionally wished in a kidnapping during which not less than 20 armed males kidnapped and threatened two folks in late June. As well as, police mentioned Zambrano-Pacheco was with a gaggle of armed males earlier than a capturing occurred shortly after the condominium incident that was caught on video.
It was not instantly clear if he had a lawyer or if he was a member of Tren de Aragua.
Native and federal authorities, together with Aurora police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, investigated the condominium video incident for months starting when Joe Biden was president.
Zambrano-Pacheco was the fifth individual to be arrested in reference to the Aurora condominium incident. The video confirmed six armed males, together with not less than some folks recognized as Tren de Aragua members by federal authorities, coming into the condominium shortly earlier than a deadly capturing exterior the complicated.
A spokesperson for the DEA’s New York workplace and two different legislation enforcement sources mentioned one other man arrested had been wished within the Dominican Republic in reference to an investigation into two murders. No additional data, together with the person’s id, was instantly out there.
A few of Tuesday’s early morning raids have been additionally executed with the assistance of brokers from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive (ATF), who have been in search of undocumented suspects linked to alleged organized crime actions or different prison acts.
New York Metropolis Mayor Eric Adams, who was not publicly out there Tuesday whereas taking a while away for well being causes, in an announcement mentioned that the NYPD assisted ICE’s efforts.
“We will not hesitate to partner with federal authorities to bring violent criminals to justice — just as we have done for years,” the assertion from the mayor learn.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, mentioned Tuesday’s arrests didn’t seem like a part of a “wholesale raid,” however slightly an operation focusing on particular folks accused of crimes.
“I need to be clear, there’s all the time been ICE raids within the state of New York, even up to now. This isn’t a brand new dynamic,” she said. “My understanding is that they have been focusing on a identified gang member.”
After being processed at 26 Federal Plaza in decrease Manhattan, a lot of these arrested have been being moved to immigration detention facilities. Immigration legal professionals advised NBC New York that some will face expedited elimination from the U.S., whereas others might be entitled to an immigration court docket listening to.
Nobody answered the door at condominium 1A by the doorway to the constructing the place Zambrano-Pacheco was detained. However Richard Egu, 50, who lives in a third-floor unit, mentioned he was roused from sleep by the commotion round 5 a.m.
Egu, a correctional officer who’s initially from Nigeria and has been a naturalized citizen for greater than 15 years, mentioned he didn’t enterprise out to research and didn’t know the person who was arrested.
He mentioned he understood the necessity to arrest and deport these within the nation illegally who commit crimes, however he additionally worries in regards to the impact such enforcement can have locally.
“You need to give immigrants a chance. These people are already here,” he mentioned. “Figure out the ones who are committing the crimes. Don’t just judge all immigrants as criminals.”
Some advocates for the undocumented with households say there’s actual worry, even amongst those that have been within the nation for greater than a decade. Officers have mentioned the focused sweeps are anticipated to proceed in NYC this week. We’re advised some communities in North Jersey might see an enforcement push beginning the primary week of February.
“We are seeing folks are afraid to go to work and participate in the economy, afraid to send kids to school or seek out health care,” mentioned Queens Metropolis Councilmember Tiffany Caban.
Alexa Aviles, chair of the Metropolis Council’s immigration committee, mentioned they’re listening to of “panic in immigrant communities.” Different elected officers expressed concern for the others swept up within the raids.
“What I’m worried about is all of the other arrests. Who are they? There’s reporting that 8 of them have no charges of any crimes,” mentioned Rep. Dan Goldman, a Democrat who represents a part of Brooklyn and decrease Manhattan.
In Chicago, metropolis leaders criticized the extremely publicized enforcement operations that began over the weekend within the nation’s third-largest metropolis. That included the stunning determination to permit daytime tv psychologist “Dr. Phil” McGraw to livestream immigrant arrests alongside Homan.
Johnson defended town’s robust sanctuary protections that bar Chicago police from cooperating with federal immigration brokers. Chicago has been a so-called sanctuary metropolis for many years and has strengthened these protections a number of occasions, together with throughout Trump’s first time period.
ICE has provided few particulars in regards to the operation in Chicago, together with the variety of arrests. The company didn’t return a message looking for remark Tuesday.
Snelling mentioned Chicago police have communicated with federal brokers however didn’t take part within the operation or cooperate. He estimated roughly 100 folks have been taken into custody.
Related Press writers Colleen Slevin, Sophia Tareen, Melissa Perez Winder, Philip Marcelo and Anthony Izaguirre contributed to this report.
