Federal prosecutors said Monday that a Denver man was subjected to days of torture after his roommates discovered that he and his father had ties to law enforcement in Venezuela, then carried out a ransom scheme allegedly directed by leaders of the violent Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang.
The victim eventually escaped and walked into a police station, where officers found that one of his fingers had been severed, prosecutors said.
His alleged captors recorded the abuse and sent the footage to his wife while demanding that his relatives in Venezuela pay a ransom.
Darwin Veliz-Gonzalez, Jefferson Balza-Delfin and Yender Enrique Campos-Malave—all Venezuelan nationals—were each sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for the kidnapping and torture, the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced.
Sentencing for a fourth defendant has been delayed.
“This is what Tren de Aragua was doing in our community,” US Attorney Peter McNeilly said. “Colorado is safer with these violent criminals in federal prison for the next 20 years, and we will continue to pursue every member of Tren de Aragua until there are no more left in our state.”
The victim had rented a room in the Denver house. Prosecutors said his roommates learned that he and his father had worked as police officers in Venezuela and then took him hostage.
The men bound him with rope and held him for several days, giving him little water and no food.
According to prosecutors, the attackers filmed themselves choking him with a rope until he was nearly unconscious. They also repeatedly forced his head into a bucket of water for at least 30 seconds at a time, threatened him with a gun and struck him with a pistol.
The recordings were sent to the victim’s wife as the men sought ransom from his family in Venezuela. Prosecutors said the footage was also shared with international TdA leaders, who were consulted about the kidnapping.
After the family failed to send money, a gang leader reportedly proposed cutting off one of the victim’s fingers to increase the pressure.
The victim overheard the discussion. Balza-Delfin then used pliers to sever his right pinky finger, and the attackers recorded that assault as well.
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Denver police went to the home on South Hazel Court on Oct. 16, 2024, after receiving a welfare call alleging that someone was being held captive there.
Officers carried out a limited visual check but found no one who appeared to be in distress. Prosecutors said the victim remained inside and was too frightened to reveal himself.
Three of the men left the house after police departed, creating an opening for the victim to flee.
The following morning, he walked into a Denver police station and reported the kidnapping and assault. He also showed officers that his finger was missing.
Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas commended the victim for reporting the crime.
“I applaud the victim of this heinous crime, and all victims, regardless of immigration status, for reporting criminal behaviors and helping us arrest those who prey on our community members,” Thomas said.
A federal grand jury has also indicted Brawins Dominique Suarez Villegas, known as “Chino San Vicente,” over his alleged involvement in the kidnapping and torture.
He is also accused of participating in a broader TdA criminal operation involving robbery, extortion, kidnapping, money laundering and drug crimes between May 2024 and approximately March 2025.
The FBI’s Denver Field Office and Denver police investigated the case, which FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski cited as part of the bureau’s efforts to dismantle the gang.
“The FBI, alongside our local, state, federal, and international partners, is working to disrupt and dismantle TdA through intelligence-driven investigations like this from our Violent Criminal Enterprise Task Force,” Koldjeski said.