Last week, a Venezuelan undocumented immigrant, suspected to be the leader of the violent Tren de Aragua gang, was apprehended in Los Angeles County, according to a Trump administration source who spoke with Fox News on Monday.
Yonaiker Gallegos, who had been operating under the alias Yoniaker(sic) Rafel Martinez-Ramos, was already in local custody facing minor charges related to fraudulent checks and a fake government ID.
He was discovered by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on April 22, as stated by a senior official from the Trump administration. Agents realized that Martinez-Ramos was likely using a fictitious identity after acquiring details about the items he possessed at the time of his arrest by local police.
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Yonaiker Gallegos, a Venezuelan national and suspected leader of Tren de Aragua, was already in local custody in Los Angeles County on minor charges while using a false name. (Senior Trump administration official)
On April 23, he was confirmed as Gallegos after HSI’s National Gang Unit matched tattoos and booking photos of Martinez-Ramos.
Investigators also traced his social media activity to verify his identity as Yonaiker Gallegos through facial recognition technology, according to the official.
A video shared with Fox News reportedly showed Gallegos brandishing grenades and a rifle on his social media accounts.
According to Homeland Security Investigations, Yonaiker Gallegos allegedly flaunted grenades and a rifle in a social media video. (Senior Trump administration official)
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He was arrested on April 25 for violations of Title 8 (immigration laws), as per the senior official, who stated he was “recognized as a leader of TDA based in California.”
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) also verified Gallegos’ detention.
Homeland Security Investigations’ National Gang Unit analysts connected the tattoos on “Yoniaker Rafel Martinez-Ramos” to Yonaiker Gallegos’ social media images, according to the senior official. (Senior Trump administration official)
HSI Los Angeles worked alongside state and local law enforcement to place Gallegos into federal custody on immigration-related charges.
