2 suspects in murder near Miami airport remain at large. Are they Venezuelan gang members?
Tuesday’s arrest of a man suspected in the November murder of Doral resident José Luis Sánchez Valera left police looking for two more male suspects and two women whom police believe lured Sanchez to a Miami airport hotel.
And the murder and ensuing home invasion could be the latest violence from Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
READ MORE: This bloodthirsty Venezuelan gang has caused havoc in Latin America. Now it’s in Miami
The gang’s named in police reports describing 23-year-old Yurwin Salazar-Maita’s alleged role in the Nov. 28 killing of Sanchez. Arrest documents place Salazar as a Tren member and say he and four cronies ended Sánchez’s life while robbing his house in a kidnap-robbery-murder series of violence for which Tren is known in Venezuela. One of the home invaders, arrest document reveals, bragged to Sánchez’s roommate that they were from Tren de Aragua.
On Tuesday in Broward, Salazar became the first of five suspects arrested in connection with Sánchez’s murder. He entered a not guilty plea Wednesday in Miami-Dade to first degree murder, kidnapping, carjacking and home invasion in addition to firearm charges. With no bond granted, he’ll remain a guest of Miami-Dade Corrections until his criminal case completes.
Meanwhile, Miami-Dade police are looking for Yorvi Jose Arenas Lezama and Julio Cesar Hernandez Montero, as the other violence-committing members of the quintet.
Additionally, they’re looking for Yordalys Henriquez and Yoleidy Ilarraza.
Crime Stoppers of Miami-Dade & the Florida Keys released photos of the four on Thursday. Anyone with information on their whereabouts who wants to remain anonymous, but be eligible for a reward of up to $5,000 can reach out to Crime Stoppers either online or at 305-471-8477 (TIPS).
Henriquez and Ilarraza, police say, played the bait role.
Sánchez went to a hotel. He never came home
Around 10 p.m. on Nov. 27, arrest paperwork shows, Sánchez left Doral for the Miami Airport East location of La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham, 3501 NW LeJeune Rd. He came out of room 310 after about four hours with two women. Sánchez left by the hotel’s side exit while the women continued on through the hotel lobby.
Once Sánchez got into his 2018 Toyota 4Runner, according to a Miami-Dade detective’s affidavit, three people in dark clothes jumped out of a silver sedan parked near the Toyota, yanked Sánchez out of the front seat and shoved him into the back seat.
Surveillance cameras caught the Toyota leaving the parking lot with the three dark-clothed people in the front seat, and returning later with one of them getting into the silver sedan. Sánchez would be found the next day in his car with tape around his body, hands and feet. The medical examiner ruled death by mechanical asphyxiation.
“Mechanical asphyxiation is when an object or a physical force stops you from breathing,” the Cleveland Clinic explains. “It also includes body positions that may prevent you from breathing.”
As Sánchez slowly died, his apartment got hit with a home invasion. The robbers got jewelry from Sánchez’s roommate as well as a bedroom closet safe before police say they left in a silver sedan.
Per arrest paperwork, Salazar’s fingerprints were in the Toyota.
El Nuevo Herald reporter Antonio Maria Delgado contributed information to this report
This story was originally published January 21, 2024 at 7:55 PM.
