Two Venezuelan illegal immigrants, believed to be affiliated with the notorious Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, were apprehended in Rensselaer, New York, in connection with a homicide that took place in Stamford, Connecticut. The suspects were found with two children, who have since been placed into child protective services.

According to a press release from the Rensselaer Chief of Police, “On Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at approximately 3:13 p.m., The Rensselaer Police Department received information from the Stamford (CT) Police Department that two individuals used a stolen credit card at the Amtrak Station located at 525 East Street, Rensselaer, NY 12144. The credit card was alleged to have been stolen from a homicide victim in Stamford, [Connecticut].”

NEW: Police in Rensselaer, NY announce the arrests of two suspected Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang members in connection to the shooting murder & robbery of a 59-year-old man at a hotel in Stamford, CT. Both illegal aliens were found w/ the victim's stolen possessions. I'm told… pic.twitter.com/gCdIFmcFUl

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 18, 2024

The suspects were identified as 24-year-old Gregory Marlyn Galindez-Trias and 22-year-old Moises Alejandro Condollo-Urbaneja, who were spotted walking with two children near the train station. They were taken into custody by Rensselaer police and later confirmed to be wanted by the Stamford Police Department in connection to the murder of 59-year-old Angel Samaniego, who was found dead from a “gunshot wound to the chest,” according to The Stamford Advocate.

Fox News‘ Bill Melugin reported that “law enforcement sources told him that the female was caught and released at the border in Fort Brown, Texas, on May 26, 2022, while the male entered the U.S. as a ‘gotaway’ at an unknown time and location. The victim, Samaniego, was an Ecuadorian national who was legally residing in the U.S. with a green card.”

On Thursday afternoon, the suspects appeared before Judge Linda Blom Johnson in Rensselaer City Court and were charged as fugitives from justice. They will be extradited to Stamford, Connecticut, once law enforcement from Stamford arrives to take them into custody. The cities are roughly two and a half hours apart.

Stamford police confirmed that the arrests in Rensselaer were “part of the ongoing investigation” into Samaniego’s murder. The Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was contacted and responded to the Rensselaer Police Department, where Immigration Detainers were issued for both suspects.

During the court proceedings, Galindez-Trias expressed fear of potential retaliation from the Tren de Aragua gang if she were to be incarcerated. The two children accompanying the suspects were placed into the custody of Rensselaer County Child Protective Services.