Four Members of Venezuelan Gang Plead Guilty to Murdering Two Americans

On June 3, 2026, federal authorities announced that four members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua pleaded guilty to the murders of two American citizens in New York City in May 2024. The gang members, who entered the U.S. illegally, were involved in the shootings of Claretha LaQuesha Daniels, 44, and Justin Lawless, 36, while also injuring a third victim, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). The defendants, identified as Keiber Jaen Martinez, Samuel Gonzalez Castro, Eferson Morillo-Gomez, and Keineyer Ibarra-Mujica, pleaded guilty to charges of murder with a firearm and using a firearm in a violent crime. A fifth member of the gang recently pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, bringing the total number of convicted members in this case to eight. Law enforcement officials have described Tren de Aragua as a highly dangerous gang involved in various criminal activities, including drug trafficking and human smuggling. The convicts face a maximum sentence of life in prison.