EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – The Department of Public Safety (DPS) has released new photos of the individuals they say instigated a riot at the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday, March 21.
DPS confirmed the arrests of 214 illegal immigrants on state rioting charges. All 214 will be held until they can be taken by U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE).
DPS says the group had been in federal custody for improper entry and has now been rebooked on state rioting charges, a class B misdemeanor.
Nine people are facing felony rioting charges. Seven of those people are currently in custody and have been booked into the El Paso County Jail, according to DPS.
DPS says their ages range from 18 to 46 years old. The group is made up of adult males and females from Venezuela, Guatemala, Ecuador, Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador.
Junior Evaristo Benitez-Martinez, 21, of Venezuela (rioting – felony, criminal mischief and assault public servant).
Keider Jose Zurita Aponte, 21, of Venezuela (rioting – felony, criminal mischief and assault public servant).
Gregori Jose Guilarte-Acosta, 18, of Venezuela (rioting – felony, criminal mischief and assault public servant).
Omar Alejandro Graterol Colmenares, 27, Venezuela (rioting – felony, criminal mischief and assault public servant).
Joshua Fernando Garcia Juarez, 18, of Guatemala (rioting – felony).
Luis Jesus Chacon, 27, of Venezuela (rioting – felony).
Martin Elias Villasis Cedeno, 46, of Ecuador (rioting – felony).
As KTSM previously reported hundreds of migrants crossed illegally into El Paso on Thursday, March 21, and forced their way past the National Guard’s concertina wire to gather at the border wall, where U.S. Border Patrol agents began processing them at the gate.
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