by Rachel Acenas via The Epoch Times,
Three Venezuelan nationals connected to the high-profile Laken Riley case will be deported back to their home countries, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said March 19.
Jose Ibarra, 27, was convicted in November of Riley’s murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Now, Ibarra’s brothers and former roommate face deportation after they pleaded guilty to possessing fake green cards, according to a DOJ statement on the case.
The Ibarra Brothers
The DOJ said that both of Ibarra’s brothers will be turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to face deportation.
The older brother, Diego Ibarra, 29, gave a counterfeit green card to a police officer investigating Riley’s murder. He was initially flagged by law enforcement because he fit the description of the primary suspect in the case. Diego Ibarra was sentenced to a total of 48 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a fraudulent document in July 2024.
According to prosecutors, Diego Ibarra entered the United States illegally in April 2023 near Eagle Pass, Texas. He is likely affiliated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), the DOJ said. Hundreds of TdA members have been deported in sweeping ICE arrests across the nation.
The younger brother, Argenis Ibarra, 25, also entered the country illegally in early April 2023 near Eagle Pass. He was caught and sent to Mexico, but tried to return to the United States later that month. He was then taken to an ICE processing center in El Paso, but the facility lacked space and he was released. The DOJ said two of his Employment Authorization Forms had been rejected.
Argenis Ibarra was sentenced to time served after he pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a fraudulent document in December 2024.
The Roommate
The brothers’ roommate, Rosbeli Flores-Bello, 29, was arrested by Border Patrol agents on May 3, 2023, after illegally entering the United States. She was sent to the same processing center in El Paso but released for the same reason.
Flores-Bello provided authorities with a New York residential address and was set to appear before an immigration judge on Oct. 18, 2023. She met Jose Ibarra in New York and they eventually flew to Atlanta together on a humanitarian mission. She moved into an apartment with the Ibarra brothers up until Riley’s murder.
Jose Ibarra listens through an interpreter during his trial at Athens-Clarke County Superior Court in Athens, Ga., on Nov. 20, 2024. Hyosub Shin/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP, Pool
Flores-Bello was sentenced to time served after she pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a fraudulent document in December 2024.
The Case
Riley’s murder gained national attention and her case has often been cited by President Donald Trump when discussing the importance of cracking down on illegal immigration.
The 22-year-old nursing student was killed while on a jog at the University of Georgia in February 2024.
A supporter holds a sign with a photo of Laken Riley before Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Rome, Ga., on March 9, 2024. Mike Stewart/AP Photo
Federal prosecutors said deporting the three illegal immigrants linked to her case is part of the president’s ongoing efforts to keep America safe.
“This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime,” the DOJ stated.
In January, Trump signed into law the Laken Riley Act, which mandates the federal detention of illegal immigrants who are accused of theft, burglary, assaulting a law enforcement officer, and any crime that causes death or serious bodily injury.
