The brother of Jose Ibarra, the Venezuelan illegal immigrant convicted of murdering 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley, has been sentenced to federal prison and deportation after pleading guilty to possessing a fraudulent green card.

Diego “Gocho” Ibarra, 29, was sentenced Wednesday to four years behind bars for two counts of possession of a fraudulent document. His sentence exceeds the standard federal guidelines, and he will not be eligible for parole.

At the time of Riley’s murder on February 22, 2024, Diego Ibarra lived with his brothers—Jose and Argenis “Meny” Ibarra, 25—and a female roommate, Rosbeli “La Gorda” Flores-Bello, 29, in Athens, Georgia. Authorities arrested and questioned all four during the investigation.

Argenis Ibarra and Flores-Bello had already pleaded guilty to possessing fraudulent documents in December 2024 but had remained in the country. In Wednesday’s ruling, U.S. District Judge Tilman E. Self ordered Diego Ibarra to be placed in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after completing his prison sentence. He also ordered Argenis Ibarra and Flores-Bello to be transferred to ICE custody immediately.

Court documents reveal that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) first identified Diego Ibarra’s illegal presence on February 23, 2024, during the murder investigation. An Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) officer, searching for Jose Ibarra, approached Diego due to their resemblance. When asked for identification, Diego presented a fake green card and was taken into custody, reports Fox News.

Further investigation uncovered his extensive history of illegal border crossings and criminal activity. He was first caught crossing the border near Eagle Pass, Texas, in April 2023 and sent back to Mexico. Less than a month later, on April 30, 2023, he was caught again crossing near El Paso, Texas. During an altercation with U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) agents, he grabbed an agent’s service radio and attempted to bite him before being restrained by National Guard members.

Diego Ibarra was taken to a hospital, claiming injuries from falling off a border fence. After admitting his injuries were not from the fight with agents, he sought asylum, citing “fear of return” to Venezuela. ICE released him on May 12, 2023, under the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program with a GPS ankle bracelet. However, he never reported to his assigned location in New York. His last known GPS location was in Littleton, Colorado, on May 25, 2023, before he cut off the monitor.

He then moved to Georgia, briefly worked at a University of Georgia cafeteria, and was arrested multiple times. His charges included DUI and driving without a license in September 2023, shoplifting in October and December 2023, and involvement in a domestic incident in September 2023. While in jail at Butts County Detention Center, he caused significant water damage by breaking a fire sprinkler system. In June 2024, prison guards found him in possession of two improvised weapons.

Authorities believe Diego Ibarra is linked to the Venezuelan illegal immigrant gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), based on his tattoos and social media images showing him displaying gang signs and wearing TdA clothing.

President Donald Trump recently invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to target Tren de Aragua, which was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department on February 20, 2025.

Argenis Ibarra and Flores-Bello also entered the U.S. illegally multiple times. Argenis was first caught and deported in April 2023, only to be arrested again at the border a month later. ICE released him on May 4, 2023, due to overcrowding. Flores-Bello was detained after crossing in May 2023 but was also released due to lack of space. She later moved to Athens, Georgia, with Jose Ibarra, whom she met in New York.

Jose Ibarra was convicted of malice murder, felony murder, and assault with intent to rape on November 20, 2024, in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court. He is serving a life sentence.