Four Tren De Aragua Members Plead Guilty In 2024 Bronx Double Murder
On Wednesday, June 3, 2026, four members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua pleaded guilty to murdering two people and wounding a third on a Bronx street, the Justice Department said.[1]
The men admitted to murdering Claretha LaQuesha Daniels, 44, and Justin Lawless, 36, and to wounding a third person during the May 2024 attack, prosecutors said.[1] Each pleaded guilty to murder through the use of a firearm and to using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, charges that carry maximum life sentences.[1] A fifth Tren de Aragua member recently pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and a gunpoint carjacking, bringing the number of convicted defendants in the broader case to eight.[1]
The fatal shooting occurred in May 2024 on a Bronx residential street and spurred a federal investigation into Tren de Aragua's operations in the United States, officials said.[1] U.S. officials say the Venezuelan-origin gang has become a transnational criminal organization involved in guns, drugs, human smuggling and violent sex trafficking in the United States.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On Wednesday, June 3, 2026, DOJ announced guilty pleas by four Tren de Aragua members in a federal New York case.
- The men admitted to murdering Claretha LaQuesha Daniels, 44, and Justin Lawless, 36, and wounding a third person on a Bronx residential street in May 2024.
- Defendants pleaded to murder through the use of a firearm and using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and face maximum life sentences.
- A fifth Tren de Aragua member recently pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and a gunpoint carjacking, making eight convicted defendants in the broader case.
- U.S. officials said the Venezuelan-origin gang has become a transnational criminal organization involved in guns, drugs, human smuggling and violent sex trafficking in the U.S.
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