MIAMI, Fla. (CBS12) — A Venezuelan immigrant, who is also a suspected member of the violent transnational Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang, has been charged with possessing a firearm as an illegal alien by Miami federal prosecutors.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said Luis Ernesto Veliz Riera, a 23-year-old Venezuelan national, has been charged by the DOJ for possessing a firearm as an illegal alien, a federal offense. Veliz Riera appeared before a magistrate judge in the Southern District of Florida following his arrest.
According to an unsealed criminal complaint affidavit, Veliz Riera entered the United States at the Mexico-El Paso, Texas border in February 2023. He used the now-disabled Customs and Border Protection One Application system to book an appointment online. This system, which was shut down on January 20, 2025, allowed undocumented aliens to submit information and schedule appointments at border ports of entry…