A pair of illegal aliens — now accused of murdering 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Houston, Texas — were released into the United States by President Joe Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) after they crossed the southern border, reports indicate.
As Breitbart News reported, Venezuelan nationals 22-year-old Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel and 26-year-old Franklin Pena were arrested and charged by the Houston Police Department with murdering Jocelyn Nungaray in the early morning of June 17.
A spokesperson with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has since told Fox News’s Bill Melugin that Martinez-Rangel and Pena are “illegally present Venezuelan nationals.”
According to ICE officials, Martinez-Rangel was apprehended at the border near El Paso, Texas, by Border Patrol agents. The same day, he was released into the U.S. interior on an order of recognizance with a Notice to Appear (NTA) at a later date before a federal immigration judge.
Pena was apprehended by Border Patrol agents near El Paso on May 28 and released into the U.S. interior that day on an order of recognizance with an NTA — just 20 days before Houston police say he helped murder Jocelyn.
Martinez-Rangel and Pena are among 7.4 million migrants who are known to be living in communities across America after being released from DHS custody while awaiting their deportation hearings.
On the night of June 16, Jocelyn snuck out of her apartment building after her mother went to sleep. Jocelyn’s boyfriend is reportedly the last person to have spoken to the girl. Shortly after midnight, Jocelyn can be seen on surveillance cameras at a 7/11 convenience store alongside Martinez-Rangel and Pena.
Police said Jocelyn, Martinez-Rangel, and Pena ended up at a nearby bridge after leaving the 7/11 store. Police allege that some time between 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. Martinez-Rangel and Pena strangled Jocelyn to death and left her body in a creek at the bridge. Jocelyn’s body was found in the creek later that day.
“In this case, the defendant[s] lured a 12-year-old under a bridge … took her pants off, tied her up and killed her, then threw her body into the bayou,” prosecutors allege.
Martinez-Rangel and Pena remain in Harris County Jail while prosecutors request bail of $1 million for each. ICE agents have placed a detainer on both illegal aliens, requesting custody of them should they get released from jail at any time.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.