RALEIGH, NC — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has arrested a Venezuelan national suspected in a mass shooting in Chicago and affiliated with the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang, officials announced.
Ricardo Padillia-Granadillo, 24, was taken into custody on Feb. 8 in Raleigh by law enforcement officers from ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations, and the U.S. Marshals Service.
Granadillo, who illegally entered the U.S. near El Paso, Texas, on Oct. 1, 2022, was initially paroled into the country and given a notice to appear for an immigration appointment on Sept. 12, 2024. He failed to attend, leading the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas to issue an arrest warrant.
During the arrest, officers found a handgun, ammunition, and 10 other Venezuelan nationals inside the Raleigh residence. The operation was conducted without incident.
Granadillo faces federal charges for illegal entry into the U.S., and authorities continue to investigate his suspected role in the Chicago mass shooting.