Three Venezuelans, all in the country illegally, were the latest to be arrested on charges of capital murder and aggravated kidnapping, which allegedly took place in Farmers Branch, a northwest suburb of Dallas.

Two suspects arrested in Aurora, Colorado; one was arrested in Las Cruces, New Mexico. All three are extradited to Texas. A fourth is still on the run.

The five Venezuelan men are believed to be part of a nationwide ATM theft ring, according to the Farmers Branch Police Department. announcement this week.

The three arrested were charged with the capital murder of Nilzult Petit, 33, also a confirmed member of the TDA gang.

The arrests are in connection with Petit’s murder on August 24, 2024. Farmers Branch police officers found his body with a single gunshot wound to the head. FBPD and Lewisville Police officers also found two juveniles believed to be known to Petit who were found early in the morning the same day walking along the I-35 service road in Lewisville.

After recovering them, officers learned that “Petit and the two juveniles were forcibly taken by several unknown suspects from an apartment complex on Fair Oaks Crossing in Dallas around 12:30 a.m. The suspects took Petit and the juveniles to Farmers Branch. , where Petit was then shot. The suspects then fled the scene with the two juveniles in a light-colored four-door sedan before releasing the juveniles, unharmed, onto the IH-35E service road,” FBPD said in a statement.

Through extensive investigation, FBPD detectives were able to initially identify two suspects who they believed were associates of Petit, allegedly involved in a complex ATM theft operation targeting multiple locations across the country. After the latest ATM theft offense, “the suspects accused Petit of hiding some of the stolen money” from other members of the theft ring. They allegedly confronted Petit and demanded payment, “which he was unwilling or unable to provide.” Petit and the two juveniles were then forcibly taken from their apartment complex, driven to the Farmers Branch neighborhood where he was murdered in an execution, FBPD said.

The investigation took FBPD detectives to Aurora, Colorado, where they went in September to interview two suspects. They were already in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They were subsequently charged with capital murder and aggravated kidnapping and are awaiting extradition to Texas.

Working with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, detectives were also able to identify a third suspect, believed to be the alleged mastermind of the vending machine theft operation. On October 11, he was arrested in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on outstanding warrants for capital murder and aggravated kidnapping in Dallas County. He is also currently awaiting extradition.

During the investigation, detectives also confirmed that Petit and all suspects are affiliated with the TDA and that the murder is not related to any other investigation or criminal matter in Farmers Branch.

A fourth suspect, Jhonny Jesus Martinez Serrano, 29, remains at large. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is encouraged to contact the FBPD, including anonymously, at 972-919-1406 or (email protected).

The FBPD actively works with numerous law enforcement agencies, which it says “have been instrumental in the investigation, search, tracking and apprehension of capital murder suspects.” .

Federal agencies involved in the case include DHS HSI; ICE; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the FBI; United States Marshals Service; and the American Secret Service.

State agencies involved in the case include the Texas Department of Public Safety; Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center; Colorado Bureau of Investigation; Colorado State Police; and the South Dakota District Attorney’s Office. County agencies include Cuyahoga County, Ohio; Campbell County, Wyoming; Meade County, South Dakota; Dona Ana County, New Mexico; and the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office.

City agencies include the Dallas Police Department; Aurora Police Department; Gillette, Wyoming, Police Department; Middleburg Heights, Ohio, Police Department; Belle Fourche, South Dakota, Police Department; Oklahoma City Police Department; Lawton, Oklahoma, Police Department; Irving Police Department; Greenville Police Department; and the Carrollton Police Department.

The multi-agency operation was underway as Governor Greg Abbott spear an initiative to crack down on TDA crimes that have exploded under the Biden-Harris administration. He also designated the TDA as a foreign terrorist organization.

The Texas DPS is also offer up to $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of TDA gang members. DPS and city law enforcement operations continue to successfully target TDA crime in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, The Center Square reported.

The news comes as more than a million Venezuelans are believed to have entered the country illegally under the Biden-Harris administration, The Center Square exclusively reports. reported.