Three Venezuelan nationals connected to the transnational gang Tren de Aragua were sentenced to 20 years in federal prison on October 6, 2026. They were convicted of kidnapping, torturing, and mutilating a roommate in Denver. Federal prosecutors announced the sentences following a brutal multi-day ransom plot that targeted a former Venezuelan police officer.
Darwin Veliz-Gonzalez, Jefferson Balza-Delfin, and Yender Enrique Campos-Malave each received 240-month prison terms after pleading guilty to attempted kidnapping charges. A fourth defendant involved in the case is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date, while law enforcement authorities continue a broader crackdown on the gang’s criminal network in Colorado.
Details of the Denver Kidnapping and Plot
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado, the incident unfolded in October 2024 at a residence in the 500 block of South Hazel Court in Denver. Four defendants had been renting a room in the home with the victim. Once the roommates discovered that both the victim and his father had previously served as police officers in Venezuela, they turned the dwelling into a captivity chamber.
Investigators detailed a severe campaign of abuse lasting several days. The captors bound the victim with rope, denied him adequate food and water, strangled him nearly to unconsciousness, repeatedly submerged his head in a bucket of water, and pistol-whipped him while threatening him with a firearm.
During the ordeal, the perpetrators filmed the abuse and transmitted the video files to the victim’s wife-who remained in Venezuela-demanding a $30,000 ransom. Prosecutors noted that the captors consulted directly with international leadership of Tren de Aragua via video calls during the execution of the plot.
When the victim’s family failed to meet the financial demands, one of the gang members used a pair of pliers to sever the victim’s right pinky finger, capturing the amputation on camera as well.
The Victim’s Escape and Police Intervention
On October 16, 2024, the Denver Police Department responded to the residence on South Hazel Court following a welfare call reporting a kidnapping. Although officers conducted a preliminary visual search of the premises, they did not locate anyone in distress because the victim was heavily guarded and too terrified to alert law enforcement while still inside.
Shortly after officers departed, three of the suspects fled the home. Seizing the opportunity, the victim escaped and walked directly into a Denver police station the following morning, October 17, 2024, to report the kidnapping and display his severe injuries.
Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas commended the victim for coming forward despite potential fears regarding immigration status. “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,” Thomas stated.
Broader Crackdown on Tren de Aragua Leadership
Federal authorities emphasized that the sentencing marks a major milestone in dismantling the violent operations of Tren de Aragua within the region. U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly underscored the gravity of the prosecutions during a joint press briefing.
“This is what Tren de Aragua was doing in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Peter McNeilly. “Colorado is safer with these violent criminals in federal prison for the next 20 years, and we will continue to pursue every member of Tren de Aragua until there are no more left in our state.”
In addition to the sentencing of the three co-conspirators, a federal grand jury has separately indicted Brawins Dominique Suarez Villegas, widely known by the alias “Chino San Vicente,” for his alleged role in directing the Denver kidnapping. Villegas faces additional RICO conspiracy charges alleging leadership in a wider enterprise involving robbery, extortion, kidnapping, money laundering, and drug crimes across multiple jurisdictions between May 2024 and March 2025. Authorities are currently pursuing his extradition from Colombia.
The investigation was spearheaded jointly by the FBI’s Denver Field Office, the Denver Police Department, and local federal task forces aimed at disrupting violent criminal enterprises operating across the United States.
