Three Tren de Aragua members sentenced to prison for kidnapping, torture in Denver
Three people associated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua have been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the 2024 kidnapping and torture of a man in Denver.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado says four men with ties to leadership within TdA kidnapped a man renting a room where the men lived in the 500 block of South Hazel Court. The men reportedly tied the victim up and tortured him after finding out the man and his father were Venezuelan police officers.
Investigators say the suspects took videos as they assaulted him over several days and sent them to the man's wife to ask for ransom money. Authorities say the men also called TdA leaders about the kidnapping and ransom. When his family didn't pay, investigators say the gang members cut off the victim's pinky finger.
On Oct. 16, 2024, police did a welfare check at the home, but the man was afraid to let them know he was there. Afterward, investigators say the suspects ran away, and the man managed to escape. He went to the police station to report the kidnapping.
Law enforcement praised the victim for coming forward.
"I applaud the victim of this heinous crime, and all victims – regardless of immigration status – for reporting criminal behaviors and helping us arrest those who prey on our community members," said Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas.
On Monday, U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly announced that three of the men, Darwin Veliz-Gonzalez, Jefferson Balza-Delfin, and Yender Enrique Campos-Malave, were each sentenced to 240 months in prison. All three pleaded guilty to attempted kidnapping.
A fourth suspect, Jose Daniel Pineda-Moreno, also pleaded guilty to attempted kidnapping, but his sentencing has been rescheduled for December 10, 2026.
One of the leaders of the gang, Brawins Dominique Suarez Villegas, also known as "Chino San Vicente," has been indicted by a grand jury as part of this investigation. McNeilly's office also says Villegas faces charges related to a RICO case. They are awaiting his extradition from Colombia.
