Law enforcement officials have arrested three suspects allegedly connected to a kidnapping and murder case involving a North Texas man, whose death has been linked to the Tren de Aragua, a notorious Venezuelan gang.
The suspects are believed to have abducted the victim alongside two children, later abandoning the unharmed children on a Texas roadside, according to a social media post from the Farmers Branch Police Department.
On August 24, Farmers Branch Police discovered the body of 33-year-old Nilzult Petit on Valley View Lane in Irving. Petit had suffered a fatal gunshot wound to the head, prompting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. While searching the scene, officers found two children, believed to be related to Petit, wandering along Interstate 35 in Lewisville.
Authorities reported that Petit was allegedly involved in an ATM theft scheme with the four associated suspects in the case, leading to tensions over unpaid debts. Following a violent confrontation, the suspects are accused of abducting Petit and the children from his apartment in the Farmers Branch area, later shooting the man fatally and abandoning the children.
The suspects arrested include 38-year-old Ehiker Alexander Morales Mendoza, 25-year-old Carlos Luis Zambrano Bolivar, and 22-year-old Jhonata Nahin Toro Gonzalez. The men face a variety of felony charges, including capital murder and aggravated kidnapping. An additional suspect, 29-year-old Jhonny Jesus Martinez Serrano, is still on the run, and law enforcement is urging anyone with information about his whereabouts to come forward.
The arrests were made across several states, with Bolivar and Gonzalez detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Aurora, Colorado. Mendoza was apprehended in New Mexico, thanks to help from the Department of Homeland Security.
While investigators confirmed the suspects’ affiliation with the Tren de Aragua gang, they believe that the motive behind this crime was personal and not directly related to gang activities.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Gov. Greg Abbott outlined various initiatives in September to support state law enforcement in their efforts to combat the fast-rising Tren de Aragua gang.
Abbott also announced his intention to designate the gang as a “Foreign Terrorist Organization” under Texas Government Code Chapter 2270. This classification enables law enforcement to seize assets from individuals suspected of being affiliated with the gang.
