Two undocumented Venezuelan men have been charged with capital crimes in the killing of a 12-year-old girl in Houston this month, the latest case to underscore how central immigration remains in U.S. politics and the upcoming presidential election.
Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22, and Franklin Jose Peña Ramos, 26, were arrested on June 20, three days after the strangled body of Jocelyn Nungaray was found in a shallow creek, according to Houston police.
A judge this week ordered bail of $10 million for each of the men, court records show.
Both men are Venezuelan citizens who entered the U.S. illegally, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson told CNN. It was unclear when and where they entered the country, the spokesperson said, but both were arrested by U.S. Border Patrol near El Paso – Martinez-Rangel on March 14 and Peña Ramos on May 28 – and released with summons to appear in court in the future.
An attorney for Peña Ramos declined to comment. An attorney for Martinez-Rangel did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
Republicans and right-wing media pointed to the case as a consequence of the immigration policies of President Joe Biden’s administration, seeking to draw a contrast with his rival, former President Donald Trump.
“That little girl would be alive today if Biden had enforced immigration laws at the border,” Republican Governor Greg Abbott said on Channel X after the suspects were arrested.
Trump, who will face Biden in Thursday’s CNN presidential debate, has repeated that, saying in a speech over the weekend that both suspects “would not have been in our country” if he had been president, despite similar crimes being committed during his time in office. He also pointed to the cases of two women who authorities say were killed last year by men who entered the country illegally: Laken Riley, a nursing student from Georgia, and Rachel Morin, a mother from Maryland.
When asked about the cases on Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said: “Our condolences go out to the families of the victims.”
“The criminals who committed these heinous acts must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” he told CNN’s Kate Bolduan. “We will hold the criminals accountable.”
Jocelyn’s body was found early on the morning of June 17 on West Rankin Road in north Houston, authorities said.
Investigators obtained surveillance footage from the area that shows the two suspects together at a restaurant the night before, Houston Police Department Lt. Stephen Hope said at a news conference after their arrest. The pair left on foot and were later seen meeting and talking with Jocelyn, Hope said, before all three went to a convenience store.
A few minutes later, Hope said, Jocelyn and the men walked to the bridge, where “Jocelyn was eventually murdered,” Hope said. The suspects left, he said, before returning to a shared apartment.
On June 20, Houston police found the suspects at an apartment complex, where they were arrested without incident, Hope said, thanking the community for its support of police throughout the investigation.
At this point, the charges against the suspects are not sufficient to warrant the death penalty, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said at a press conference Monday, according to footage from CNN affiliate KHOU. She added that forensic evidence is still being examined.
The decision to seek a death sentence is not made by Ogg alone, she said. There is a committee in her office that makes that decision based on the evidence and the feelings of the victim’s family.
At that press conference, Alexis Nungaray, Jocelyn’s mother, said it had been “a very, very difficult time” for her family and told reporters that she had seen “signs” reminding her of Jocelyn in the days following her death.
“I know this case is attracting a lot of attention,” Nungaray said, “but she was still my firstborn. I was a teenage mother and fought for her when I was 15. Now I’m 27 and I’m still fighting for her.”
“Just remember that she was a very special little girl who deserves justice.”
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated when the two men entered the U.S. The date is unknown, according to ICE.
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