Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, has called for the death penalty for two illegal immigrants charged with the murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Houston. The ‘Outnumbered’ panel discussed the brutal killing and the latest details on the suspects accused of her murder, who officials claim entered the United States illegally.
Cruz, in a statement on X, said, “This is horrifying. If guilty, both of these men should receive the death penalty for this horrible crime.” He went on to blame President Biden’s open border policies for the tragedy. “These men are illegal aliens and Jocelyn Nungaray would still be alive and with her family if not for Joe Biden’s open border policies. The Biden administration is directly responsible. My heart goes out to Jocelyn’s family.”
The suspects, Johan Jose Martinez Rangel, 22, and Franklin Pena, 26, both from Venezuela, were seen with Nungaray on Sunday night before she was killed near a bridge, police said Thursday. Investigators tracked their movements through surveillance footage.
According to Harris County Assistant District Attorney Michael Abner, “In this case the defendant lured a 12-year-old under a bridge, where he and his co-defendant remained with her for over 2 hours, took her pants off, tied her up, and killed her, then threw her body into the bayou.”
Both suspects entered the United States illegally through Texas, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said. Martinez was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol near El Paso, Texas on March 14th and released on an order of recognizance with a notice to appear. Pena was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol on May 28th near El Paso and was also released on an order of recognizance with a notice to appear the same day he was apprehended.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security stated to Fox News Digital: “Our hearts go out to Jocelyn Nungaray’s family. The Department cannot publicly comment on an ongoing criminal investigations. That said, anyone who commits a horrific and senseless crime, like the one these individuals are accused of, should be prosecuted to the fullest extent under the law.”
Cruz also urged Biden to restore the Remain in Mexico policy, a Trump-era directive that required migrants applying for asylum to stay in Mexico while their cases play out in U.S. courts. “He must reinstate Remain in Mexico and end catch-and-release immediately, or we will lose more innocent life,” Cruz wrote. “There is no time for half measures – we need to look at what works, and do it now.”
The slaying of Nungaray came amid a week of kidnappings, murders and rapes blamed on illegal immigrants across the country. Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman contributed to this report. Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com.
