The alleged migrant “ringleaders” of the El Paso border riot had been identified to authorities, but they were still released into the US, sources told The Post.
While in federal custody, a “cooperating migrant” identified Venezuelan national Gabriel Enrique Angarita Carrasquero, 22, to border agents as an “instigator” among the group that stormed the border on March 21, according to internal documents seen by The Post.
The informant said “he witnessed Angarita Carrasquero use [a] rope to pull the gate down which subsequently led to the migrant rush into the United states bypassing National Guard.”
The mole also pointed to Venezuelan migrant Juan Jose Colorado Gutierrez, 35, as another “one of the instigators” who used “wire cutters or bolt cutters to cut the barbed wire” on the US side of the border.
Both men also allegedly “admitted” to entering the US illegally with the hundreds of others who “rushed the National Guard,” according to documents seen by The Post.
Despite the serious accusations against them and their own admissions, Border Patrol subsequently released Carrasquero and Gutierrez due to a lack of detention space.
However, state officers soon realized both men were among nine they have identified as the main perpetrators of the border rush, which injured National Guard troops. They have all since been hit with felony charges.
Gutierrez was easier to track down, as when he was released by Border Patrol, he was enlisted in the Alternatives to Detention electronic monitoring program, and was picked up on April 2 by the by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) on charges of aggravated assault on a police officer, rioting and criminal mischief.
Carrasquero is wanted on the same charges but remained at large on Thursday evening. He had told border officers his intended destination in the US was Phoenix, Arizona.
Federal sources outside of Border Patrol told The Post they were unsure why Carrasquero was released when he did not claim “fear of persecution or harm if he is returned to Venezuela,” in order to qualify him for asylum, and was “amenable to expedited removal,” which is the legal term for deportation, before being released.
The migrant who became a federal informant alleged while they were situated near the Gate 36 area when there border rush took place he witnessed several other Venezuelan migrants dealing drugs to other migrants waiting for Border Patrol.
The nine ringleaders are joined by another 214 people who have been handed rioting charges for the attempted incursion, which was caught on camera by The Post.
The larger group facing lesser charges are from Venezuela, Guatemala, Ecuador, Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador. Those individuals were originally taken into federal custody before they were booked into state custody on the rioting misdemeanor charges.
Around 100 others who were identifed as being part of the incident were also released by Border Patrol.
The cases are currently working their way through the El Paso courts.
“Riot cases are very easy to prove, we’re very confident in our evidence and we’re ready to move forward if any of them actually go to trial. Honestly I’d be surprised if they do,” El Paso District Attorney Bill Hicks told The Post in an interview Wednesday.
The riot charges carry a sentence of up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine.
“The district attorney’s office [is] taking this very seriously and obviously the governor’s office is taking it very seriously,” Hicks said.
“The situation that we had at Gate 36 is very unusual for us here in El Paso. We just don’t typically have that level of violence like that. El Paso for the most part is a very peaceful city,” added Hicks.
Texas has enhanced its efforts to secure the area around Gate 36 since the border bum rush, adding hundreds of troops, laying down more razor wire and building many new fences.