Feds expected to show at hearing gang connections to brother of UGA murder suspect
Federal authorities are expected to show evidence at a bond hearing Thursday for Diego Ibarra that he may be affiliated with the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
Ibarra, 29, is the brother of Jose Antonio Ibarra, the 26-year-old undocumented immigrant from Venezuela charged with the murder of nursing student Laken Riley on the University of Georgia campus on Feb. 22.
Diego Ibarra is charged with possessing a fake green card and is scheduled for a bond hearing on Thursday morning before a U.S. Magistrate Court judge in Macon. Both brothers were arrested the day after Riley's slaying. Diego Ibarra was not linked to the slaying.
In a motion filed Wednesday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Morrison cited reasons for Ibarra to remain in federal custody prior to his trial on the fraud charge, which carries up to10 years in prison.
Previously: Federal hearing delayed for Diego Ibarra, brother of alleged killer Jose Ibarra
While the motion cited his unlawful entry into the U.S., and his arrests in Athens, the document also goes into detail about the suspect’s possible affiliation with a gang that has had violent confrontations with law enforcement in New York and has members in Texas, Illinois, Florida and Georgia. The gang originated in a prison in the Venezuelan state of Aragua, according to the federal paper.
One fact that linked Ibarra to the gang are tattoos found on the suspect’s face and neck and photos that show him displaying known gang hand signals. The gang frequently wears Chicago Bulls attire and agents located photographs of him wearing such clothing.
In addition, the agent located a photo of him holding a firearm, which is illegal for a non-citizen in the U.S. to possess.
These facts, according to the document, will be used Thursday to request that the judge keep Ibarra in confinement.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Feds expected to show gang ties to brother of UGA murder suspect
