(NewsNation) — Investigators suspect the two men accused of killing 12-year-old Texas girl Jocelyn Nungaray were members of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang, according to a search warrant.
Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel and Franklin Pena are both charged with capital murder in connection to Nungaray’s death. Nungaray snuck out of her Houston home late one Sunday night, and a bystander found her body in a creek the next morning, authorities said.
Pena and Martinez-Rangel were arrested at a Houston apartment complex three days later. The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences determined Nungaray’s cause of death to be strangulation.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement previously told NewsNation that Martinez-Rangel and Pena came into the country unlawfully from Venezuela. The search warrant states that the two men used emojis associated with Tren de Aragua, Venezuela’s largest criminal organization, such as a ninja, a cross sword and a building. On one social media account used by Martinez-Rangel, he allegedly posted a message in Spanish that was addressed to Tren de Aragua members living inside and outside of the U.S.
Meanwhile, Pena’s TikTok had photos on it showing tattoos associated with the gang.
Both Pena and Martinez-Rangel remain behind bars on a $10 million bond.
Speaking in an interview with KRIV after her daughter’s body was located, Nungaray’s mom called her an “amazing little girl.”
“I was so excited to see the woman she was going to turn into,” she said. “She was supposed to be here. She’s meant to be here. My baby didn’t deserve this at all.”
