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Published on January 16, 2025
Alleged Venezuelan Gang Members Charged with Weapons Trafficking in Manhattan CourtSource: Unsplash/Tingey Injury Law Firm

Three Venezuelan migrants found themselves on the wrong side of the law last Wednesday, facing serious weapons trafficking charges in a Manhattan courtroom. According to AM New York, among those charged was 21-year-old Stefano Pachon, alleged prominent member of Tren de Aragua—a street gang infamous within Venezuela and beyond for its criminal activities. The indictment paints a grim picture of their operations: selling ghost guns and various firearms, sometimes with modifications to dangerously increase firepower and capacity.

Law enforcement asserts that since their arrival in the U.S. between mid to late 2023, this trio has been none other than busy, rapidly escalating their illicit trade. The accused conducted their firearm sales at multiple locations in the Bronx and at a gas station in East Harlem, as The New York Post reports pulling in buyers through the use of WhatsApp messages, complete with photographs of weapons ready to be traded in the shadows of the city.

Digging into the case reveals a wider net of criminal activity linked to this particular group. The probe leading to these arrests initiated with Victor Parra, the head of a cell phone snatching operation, who has since pleaded guilty to grand larceny charges and faces a potential 2 to 6 years in state prison. Investigators were able to leverage evidence from that case to eventually ensnare Pachon and his associates on January 15.

The language from law enforcement and judicial authorities is unequivocal. "Selling illegal weapons in Manhattan is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. The scourge of gun violence takes a devastating toll on our communities, and I have met with far too many heartbroken families who have lost a loved one because of illegal firearms," Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg told AM New York. Meanwhile, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch affirmed the relentless commitment of the NYPD to "prevent these weapons from getting into criminals’ hands, so that everyone in our city can live free from fear and violence."

In court, attempts by Pachon's attorney to garner sympathy based on his client's status as an "asylum seeker" were swiftly rebuked by Judge Althea Drysdale. "Just because all [the accused] hail from Venezuela doesn't mean you get to be an asylum seeker," she countered during the hearing, as per The New York Post. Pachon was subsequently ordered held without bail, whereas his accomplices Serrano and Figuera received bail amounts of $75,000 and $50,000 respectively.

All three men have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.