HOUSTON — On Friday, officials in Texas declared their intention to pursue the death penalty against two Venezuelan individuals accused of the murder of a 12-year-old girl from Houston. This incident has ignited strong reactions in the ongoing national conversation regarding immigration policies. The victim, Jocelyn Nungaray, has become a symbol in this dialogue, particularly after her mother publicly supported President-elect Donald Trump, advocating for stricter border controls following the tragic loss of her child.
The announcement came from Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, who confirmed that her office would be submitting an official court notice later that day to seek the death penalty for 22-year-old Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel and 26-year-old Franklin Jose Peña Ramos. Both men face capital murder charges linked to Nungaray’s death on June 16, and they are currently incarcerated on bonds set at $10 million each.
Ogg stated, “Jocelyn’s murder was as vile, brutal and senseless as any case in my tenure as district attorney. It was further compounded by the knowledge that these two individuals were in the country illegally. Had they been detained after their apprehension at the border, they would not have had the opportunity to commit this horrific act and upend the future of Jocelyn’s family.”
As Ogg prepares to step down from her position at the end of the month after losing her reelection bid in November, Sean Teare will take over the prosecution in this case. One of Peña’s defense attorneys, Daniel Werlinger, indicated that prosecutors had informed the defense team last month about the intention to seek the death penalty, labeling Friday’s announcement as merely reiterating previous communications.
Prosecutors allege that the two men kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and ultimately strangled Jocelyn before abandoning her body in a shallow area beneath a bridge. Her remains were discovered in a creek the following day, with an examination revealing that strangulation was the cause of death.
Both Martinez-Rangel and Peña were initially arrested by U.S. Border Patrol in El Paso after entering the United States without proper documentation. They had been released with court appearance notices, having been apprehended separately in March and May.
The case has been leveraged by Republican figures to highlight criticisms of President Joe Biden’s handling of border security, citing not only Nungaray’s murder but also other instances involving undocumented immigrants linked to violent crimes. In a related case, Jose Ibarra, a Venezuelan national, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a nursing student in Georgia last month.
Trump has claimed that an influx of migrants contributes to rising crime rates, despite various studies indicating that immigrants are statistically less likely to commit crimes than their native-born counterparts.