U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced on May 20 that they had arrested two men identified as members of the dangerous Venezuelan Tren de Aragua street gang who are linked to a mass shooting in Chicago.
The gang members, Ricardo Granadillo Padilla, 25, and Edward Martinez Cermeno, 24, now face immigration-related charges on top of the investigation into a shooting at a house party in Chicago’s Gage Park in December, according to WFLD-TV.
The two illegal migrants were linked to the December 2, 2024, shooting which left three men dead and five others seriously wounded, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) reported.
ICE arrested Granadillo Padilla in North Carolina when he fled Chicago after the shooting. ICE reported that Granadillo Padilla had been convicted of illegally entering the U.S. in 2022. When he was arrested, ICE also discovered illegal narcotics and guns in his possession.
WATCH — Nat Sec Expert: Tren de Aragua Terrorist Organization Phenomenon Uniquely of Biden Admin:
Martinez Cermeno was taken into custody in Chicago when he was released by Chicago Magistrate Judge Gabriel Fuentes after being arrested by the CPD in connection to the shooting incident. ICE reported that he unlawfully entered the U.S. at Eagle Pass, Texas, in 2023.
Chicago resident Maria del Carmen Guidirrama was shocked by the mass shooting back in 2024. “I’m shocked, yeah. I’m surprised,” she said, according to WLS-TV. “I’m surprised because this area, walking too much kids.”
Along with Martinez Cermeno and Granadillo Padilla, ICE reported taking 16 other members of the Tren de Aragu street gang into custody.
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