ALBION, N.Y. — Federal immigration officers and U.S. Marshals arrested a 38-year-old Venezuelan illegal immigrant and alleged member of the Tren de Aragua transnational gang who had been released back into the community after local authorities refused to honor an ICE detainer, the agency announced.
Jairo Antonio Molina Moron was taken into custody during a targeted operation in Albion on May 24 by ICE Buffalo’s Fugitive Operations Team and U.S. Marshals Service deputies. He faces pending local charges for felony assault with intent to cause physical injury with a weapon or instrument.
“Transnational criminal gang members are not welcome in New York,” said Enforcement and Removal Operations New York acting Field Office Director Philip Rhoney. “We will never waver in our resolve to ensure these criminals gang members are not free to terrorize New Yorkers. I am grateful to our officers and our federal partners for their work to keep violent illegal aliens off the streets in our state and our country.”
Molina was paroled into the United States in 2023 under the Biden administration’s parole policy. The New York City Police Department arrested him for assault with intent to cause physical injury in December 2024, but those charges were subsequently dropped. The Yonkers Police Department arrested him again for felony assault with intent to cause physical injury with a weapon or instrument in February 2025. ICE lodged an immigration detainer against him at that point, but local authorities refused to honor it and released Molina back into the community.
“The arrest of Molina Moron is the product of teamwork, coordination and a relentless commitment to protecting communities through collaboration,” said District of Western New York U.S. Marshal Charles Salina. “We are proud to work with our ICE partners and other federal agencies with immigration enforcement efforts.”
The case illustrates the enforcement gap created when local jurisdictions decline to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, forcing ICE to conduct at-large arrests in communities rather than receive custody transfers from jails. ICE’s Buffalo field office is responsible for immigration enforcement across 48 of New York’s 62 counties.
Molina is detained in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings.