A suspected member of a Venezuelan gang, previously arrested and released after squatting in a New York City home teeming with drugs and firearms, disclosed his criminal history when apprehended again this week, according to federal immigration authorities.
Yerbin Benjamin Lozada Munoz was taken into custody during a traffic stop in Nassau County last Friday, following an immigration detainer request by U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE).
Unlike New York City, Nassau County is not a sanctuary jurisdiction, permitting local law enforcement agencies to collaborate with immigration authorities, as reported.
Munoz, allegedly affiliated with the infamous Tren de Aragua gang, confessed to ICE agents about his criminal background in Venezuela, where he served a 14-month prison term for robbery and resisting arrest.
Initially apprehended on March 27 along with other Venezuelans squatting in a Bronx residence, Munoz faces multiple charges, including possession of weapons, drugs, and ammunition. He was previously released pending trial.
Another suspect from the same incident, Hector De Sousa Villalta, faces charges and is implicated in an attempted murder case in Yonkers, New York.
Munoz entered the U.S. unlawfully around October 3, 2022, arrested near Eagle Pass, Texas, and subsequently released due to overcrowding at an ICE detention center in El Paso.
Despite being instructed to report to the nearest ICE Enforcement Removal Operations field office within 60 days, Munoz failed to comply, breaching the conditions of his parole, ICE stated.
Upon his arrest for fourth-degree grand larceny exceeding $1,000 on April 1, ICE filed a detainer request, resulting in Munoz’s apprehension upon release from the Nassau County jail.
Several other suspects, including Villalta, Yoessy Pino Castillo, and Yojairo Armando Martinez, are detained by ICE awaiting deportation proceedings.
Javier Jose Albornoz Marchan and Miguel Gregerio Barrio remain in custody in New York City, with immigration detainers lodged in their cases. Johan Jose Cardenas Silva, held in the Nassau County Jail, is also subject to a detainer hold, ICE confirmed.
