Three members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) have been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for kidnapping and torturing a Denver man, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. The victim survived days of abuse, including being strangled and nearly drowned, before escaping and reporting the crime to police, missing a finger.
Darwin Veliz-Gonzalez, Jefferson Balza-Delfin, and Yender Enrique Campos-Malave, all Venezuelan nationals, were convicted for their roles in the plot. A fourth defendant’s sentencing has been postponed.
US Attorney Peter McNeilly stated that the sentences make Colorado safer and vowed to continue pursuing TdA members. The victim was renting a room in the Denver home when his roommates discovered his family's ties to law enforcement in Venezuela. They subsequently took him captive.
During the captivity, which lasted several days, the victim was tied up without food or water. His captors filmed themselves strangling him, holding his head in water, and threatening him with a gun. These recordings were sent to his wife as a ransom demand and shared with TdA leaders, who reportedly suggested the mutilation to increase pressure on the family.
Balza-Delfin severed the victim's right pinky finger with pliers, an act also captured on video, after the family failed to pay the ransom.
Denver police were alerted to the situation on October 16, 2024, following a welfare check. Although officers conducted a search, the victim, fearing for his safety, did not reveal himself. After the police left, three of the captors fled, allowing the victim to escape.
The victim subsequently went to a Denver police station and reported the kidnapping and assault, presenting his severed finger as evidence.
Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas commended the victim for coming forward and reiterated the department's commitment to protecting community members regardless of immigration status.
Separately, Brawins Dominique Suarez Villegas, also known as “Chino San Vicente,” has been indicted for his alleged involvement in this kidnapping and torture, as well as participation in a broader TdA criminal enterprise involved in robbery, extortion, kidnapping, money laundering, and drug crimes between May 2024 and March 2025.
The FBI’s Denver Field Office and Denver police led the investigation. FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski emphasized the FBI's ongoing efforts to dismantle TdA through its Violent Criminal Enterprise Task Force and collaborations with local, state, federal, and international partners.