Brother of Laken Riley’s Killer Sentenced and Ordered Deported
The brother of Jose Ibarra, the Venezuelan national convicted in the slaying of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, has been sentenced to prison and deportation. Diego Ibarra, 29, pleaded guilty to possessing a fraudulent green card during the investigation into Riley’s death, which occurred on the University of Georgia campus on February 22, 2024.
Sentence Details
Diego Ibarra was sentenced on Wednesday to four years in federal prison after admitting to two counts of possessing a false document on July 15, 2024. The sentence exceeded federal guidelines, and he will not be eligible for parole.
Connection to Laken Riley Case
Jose Ibarra, convicted of killing Laken Riley, resided with his brothers Diego and Argenis Ibarra, along with Rosbeli Flores-Bello, at an apartment complex in Athens, Georgia, at the time of Riley’s murder. All four individuals were questioned and subsequently arrested by investigators.
Argenis Ibarra and Flores-Bello also confessed to possessing counterfeit green cards under assumed names on February 23, 2024. They pleaded guilty to document fraud in December 2024 but were not initially detained.
Deportation Orders Issued
In Wednesday’s court decision, U.S. District Judge Tilman E. Self mandated that Diego Ibarra be transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody upon completion of his prison term. The judge also ordered the immediate placement of Argenis Ibarra and Flores-Bello into ICE custody.
Diego Ibarra’s Illegal Entry and Criminal History
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was alerted to Diego Ibarra’s unlawful presence in the United States on February 23, 2024, during the Laken Riley homicide inquiry, according to court records.
An Athens-Clarke County Police Department (ACCPD) officer, searching for Jose Ibarra, initially approached Diego Ibarra because of his resemblance to his brother.
Diego Ibarra presented a fake green card to the officer when asked for identification and was subsequently apprehended.
Further investigation revealed Diego Ibarra’s extensive history of illegal border crossings and continued criminal activity within the U.S.
He was initially deported to Mexico on April 3, 2023, after being apprehended for illegally entering the U.S. near Eagle Pass, Texas, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia.
Less than a month later, on April 30, 2023, he attempted to re-enter the country with four other Venezuelan men near Ysleta Station in El Paso, Texas.
During this attempt, he resisted U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) agents, grabbing and throwing an agent’s radio and attempting to bite the agent. National Guard members intervened to stop the altercation.
Following complaints of chest, back, and leg pain, attributed initially to falling from the border fence, he was hospitalized. He later admitted his injuries were not from the confrontation and then sought asylum, citing “fear of return” to Venezuela.
Release and Subsequent Arrests
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) placed Diego Ibarra in the Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program on May 11, 2023, releasing him from custody the next day on condition that he wear a GPS ankle monitor and report to New York for asylum proceedings. He failed to comply.
Diego Ibarra’s ankle monitor last signaled near Littleton, Colorado, on May 25, 2023. He removed it prior to his eventual arrest, according to the official statement.
He relocated to Georgia and was arrested on multiple occasions, including for DUI and driving without a license on September 24, 2023, shoplifting on October 27, 2023, and further shoplifting with an outstanding warrant on December 8, 2023.
ACCPD also responded to a domestic incident involving Diego Ibarra and his girlfriend on September 26, 2023.
While detained at the Butts County Detention Center for document fraud, Diego Ibarra caused significant water damage by damaging a jail cell fire sprinkler system, as per the statement.
On June 25, 2024, corrections officers discovered Ibarra in possession of two makeshift weapons, including a sharpened sprinkler head and a pen wrapped in plastic.
Links to Tren de Aragua Gang
Court documents suggest Diego Ibarra’s potential affiliation with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), citing his TdA tattoos, social media posts featuring gang signs, and TdA apparel.
Former President Donald Trump recently referenced the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to target TdA, which was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the Department of State on February 20.
Argenis Ibarra and Flores-Bello’s Immigration History
While less extensive than Diego Ibarra’s, Argenis Ibarra’s immigration history also involves multiple illegal entries into the U.S.
Argenis Ibarra illegally entered the U.S. near Eagle Pass, Texas, on April 3, 2023, and was returned to Mexico by USBP. He was apprehended again by USBP near El Paso, Texas, less than a month later on April 30, 2023, and taken to an ICE processing center, where he was released on May 4, 2023, due to “lack of space.”
Similarly, Flores-Bello illegally entered the country on May 3, 2023, and was processed at an ICE facility in El Paso. She was released on May 5, 2023, also due to “lack of space.”
Flores-Bello provided a New York address and was scheduled for an immigration court hearing on October 18, 2023, but traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, in December 2023 with Jose Ibarra, whom she had met in New York. She then settled in Athens and resided with the Ibarra brothers until Laken Riley’s murder.
Jose Ibarra’s Conviction
Jose Ibarra was convicted on November 20, 2024, of malice murder, felony murder, assault with intent to rape, and other charges in Athens-Clarke County Superior Court in connection to the Laken Riley case.
He is currently serving a life sentence.