A Migrant Steps Up

Recent border crosser helps solve a homicide

A Migrant Steps Up

With the flood of migrants entering the country since the Biden Administration took the reins, there have been numerous stories of the crime spike that has accompanied that human wave.  It seems like every day there is another headline about a migrant committing an unspeakable act.    

It certainly appears that countries like Venezuela are dumping its criminal population on the United States like Castro did in the 1980 Mariel boatlift.  Mayorkas will tell you there is no data to back that claim up.  That is because Homeland Security is the only agency who can produce that data, and they refuse to do so. 

Although there seems to be many criminals crossing the border, like all groups, the migrants are mostly good hardworking people.  As a cop working in some of the worst neighborhoods in NYC, you knew that most of the people in those communities are good people that are just trying to make a living.  The same rule applies to the migrant community. 

Last week a horrifying crime shook the nation.  A 12-year-old girl was brutally tortured, likely raped, and killed.  Jocelyn Nungaray was strangled to death by two migrants who should not have been allowed here. 

Jocelyn Nungaray

Police were able to identify and arrest the two alleged perps within three days.  These two were identified as Franklin Peña, 26, and Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22.  Both men recently entered the country via the southern border at El Paso. 

How was that crime solved?  The two perps were not known to local law enforcement.  The feds didn’t load their fingerprints or DNA into AFIS or CODIS, the national law enforcement databases.  That would have undoubtedly solved that crime.  The victim had fought and scratched.  The perp’s DNA was under her fingernails.  But there was nothing to compare them to.  The ankle monitors that the men wore were cut off.  It doesn’t appear that the monitor data was used to make these collars.

Despite Homeland Securities malfeasance, the crime was solved. 

By a migrant.  From Venezuela. 

Yohecfredder Rodriguez crossed the border around the same time as the two criminals.  He shared an apartment with them.  Police found video of the two immediately before the crime and released those images to the media.  Yohecfredder saw the news and knew his two roommates may have done the unspeakable. 

He met with investigators from the Houston Police Department and gave his story.  Hours later cops were at the apartment and arrested Pena and Martinez-Rangel.  Thank you, Mr. Rodriguez, for coming forward. Nice work by Houston PD for making the case.

This tragic story tells us that, just like in cities around the country, cooperation between the police and the community is critical.  Cops have been doing that for decades.  Together the migrant community and local police can work to take perps off the street.

With the current administration, local cops can’t wait for help from the feds.  They must build relationships and get to work.  Migrants like Yohechfredder show it’s possible. 

Thanks for reading The Ops Desk. Stay Safe!