U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has announced the arrests of individuals involved in a mass shooting that occurred on December 2, 2024, at a house party in Chicago. The event, which was mainly attended by Venezuelan nationals, resulted in several injuries and three fatalities. Authorities suspect that members of the Tren de Aragua gang were responsible for the attack.
One of the alleged shooters, Ricardo Granadillo Padilla, a 25-year-old Venezuelan national, was apprehended on February 8 by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Chicago and Raleigh along with other law enforcement agencies in Raleigh, North Carolina. Granadillo Padilla is currently held in federal custody following his sentencing in March 2025 for illegally entering the United States near El Paso, Texas in 2022. In January 2025, authorities seized multiple firearms, high-capacity magazines, narcotics, and fraudulent documents from his residence in Chicago. Additional items such as a pistol and ammunition were confiscated during his arrest.
Another suspect identified as Edward Martinez Cermeno, aged 24 and also from Venezuela, was arrested on January 26 by ICE HSI Chicago and the CBP Office of Border Patrol in Schaumburg, Illinois. Initially released after a federal detention hearing by a magistrate judge in Illinois, Martinez Cermeno was re-arrested on administrative immigration charges for being unlawfully present in the U.S. He remains under federal custody facing charges related to illegal entry into the country near Eagle Pass, Texas in 2023.
In recent weeks, sixteen more members or associates of Tren de Aragua have been detained by ICE HSI Chicago on immigration-related charges within both Chicago and Raleigh areas.
The public is encouraged to report any crimes or suspicious activities through ICE's hotline at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or via their online tip form.
Further information about ICE’s efforts to enhance public safety can be found on their social media platform X at @HSIChicago.
