Aurora police link brothers accused in shooting to Tren de Aragua gang

DENVER (KDVR) — Police say they have confirmed Tren de Aragua connections for two brothers arrested in a July shooting in Aurora , along with two of their suspected accomplices.

Jhonnarty Dejesus Pacheco-Chirinos, 24, was arrested the day after a July 28 shooting on Nome Street and is accused of attempted murder and other charges.

“We can now confirm that he is a documented member of Tren de Aragua ,” the Aurora Police Department said on Wednesday.

Police said his brother is Jhonardy Jose Pacheco-Chirinos , 22, also known as “Cookie” or “Galleta,” who also faces charges in the shooting and who police say is a known member of the TdA gang.

“After working with our local, state and federal partners, we are now able to share those gang-related connections,” the police department posted on social media on Wednesday.

Both brothers are in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, police said.

Brothers held in ICE detention facility

An ICE spokesperson said the Pacheco-Chirinos brothers are citizens of Venezuela and are being held at the Denver Contract Detention Facility in Aurora.

Border Patrol agents encountered the brothers on Oct. 2, 2022, in Del Rio Sector, Texas, and they were released with a notice to appear, according to an ICE spokesperson. An immigration judge ordered Jhonnardy Jose’s removal on Aug. 23, the spokesperson said.

The Aurora Police Department told FOX31 on Wednesday that the two brothers are among 10 confirmed TdA members in the area, six of whom are in law enforcement custody.

Police said two other Venezuelan citizens arrested in the July shooting are also suspected members of TdA and are accused of tampering with evidence in the crime, but they are not included in the 10 documented gang members. An ICE spokesperson said detainers have been placed on the two, who are being held in the Adams County jail.

The shooting happened around 4:30 a.m. outside 1568 Nome St. Two men were shot and a third was injured with a broken ankle.

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