DPS releases names of migrants arrested on felony charges in El Paso 'border riot' case
Aaron Martinez
The names of seven migrants arrested on felony charges of rioting and assaulting law enforcement officers in a confrontation with Operation Lone Star forces in El Paso's Lower Valley were released by state officials.
Texas Department of Public Safety officials released the names of the migrants Wednesday, April 3, and confirmed the arrest of 214 other migrants in connection with a March 21 confrontation between asylum-seeking migrants and Texas National Guard troops.
Migrants breached razor wire barriers erected by Texas National Guard soldiers on the northern side of the Rio Grande on U.S. territory. They overwhelmed state forces and rushed to the border fence to surrender to U.S. Border Patrol agents to seek asylum or other immigration relief.
The migrants arrested on felony charges are:
- Junior Evaristo Benitez-Martinez, 21, of Venezuela. Charges: rioting – felony, criminal mischief and assaulting a public servant.
- Keider Jose Zurita Aponte, 21, of Venezuela. Charges: rioting – felony, criminal mischief and assault public servant.
- Gregori Jose Guilarte-Acosta, 18, of Venezuela. Charges: rioting – felony, criminal mischief and assault public servant.
- Omar Alejandro Graterol Colmenares, 27, Venezuela. Charges: rioting – felony, criminal mischief and assault public servant.
- Joshua Fernando Garcia Juarez, 18, of Guatemala. Charge: rioting – felony.
- Luis Jesus Chacon, 27, of Venezuela. Charge: rioting – felony.
- Martin Elias Villasis Cedeno, 46, of Ecuador. Charge: rioting – felony.
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Warrants also were issued for two other migrants wanted in connection with the incident. The wanted migrants are:
- Juan Jose Colorado Gutierrez, 34, of Venezuela. Charges: rioting – felony, criminal mischief and assault public servant.
- Gabriel Enrique Angarita Carrasquero, 22, of Venezuela. Charges: rioting – felony, criminal mischief and assault public servant.
DPS officials said 214 other migrants were arrested on state rioting charges — a class B misdemeanor. The names of those migrants were not released.
The migrants were originally arrested by federal law enforcement agents on a federal charge of improper entry into the U.S. and booked into the El Paso County Jail. They were then rebooked into the El Paso County Jail on the state rioting charges, officials said.
All 214 migrants are being held until they can be taken by U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement, DPS officials said. The group of migrants is made up of men and women from Venezuela, Guatemala, Ecuador, Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador.
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The clash began when the migrants breached concertina wire barriers at Gate 36 of the border fence in El Paso's Lower Valley to illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border.
El Paso District Attorney Bill Hicks said Tuesday some of the migrants assaulted National Guard troops with at least one migrant attempting to grab a gun from a trooper.
El Paso Public Defender Kelli Childress, whose office is representing a majority of the migrants, claimed Tuesday the allegations against the migrants are false. She added the migrants are being used to promote political agendas.
Aaron Martinez may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT.