The Associated Press faced backlash online this week after they failed to inform readers that two men who were arrested for allegedly murdering a young girl in Texas were illegal aliens who recently entered the country under President Joe Biden.
The two illegal aliens from Venezuela â Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26 â were each charged this week with capital murder stemming from the death of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray.
âMartinez and Pena both illegally entered the U.S. without inspection, parole or admission by a U.S. immigration officer on an unknown date and at an unknown location,â U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said in a statement. âOn March 14, Martinez was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol near El Paso, Texas. That same day he was released on an order of recognizance with a notice to appear. Pena was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol on May 28 near El Paso. He was also released on an order of recognizance with a notice to appear the same day he was apprehended.â
The Associated Press completely excluded from their report the fact that the two men illegally entered the U.S. over the last few months and that they were released into the country by the Biden administration.
Investigators said that Nungaray was murdered via strangulation and police were able to trace the movements the suspects before and after the killing by using surveillance videos.
Prosecutors said that the defendants âluredâ Nungaray âunder a bridgeâ where they âremained with her for over two hours, took her pants off, tied her up and killed her, then threw her body into the bayou.â
The publication faced significant criticism online for excluding the connection between illegal immigration and the death of the young girl.
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âAP is fundamentally dishonest,â said Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). âEntire story doesnât mention that the murderers were ILLEGAL ALIENS. This is not journalism. And hundreds of smaller outlets will run this word-for-word.â
Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) added: âThis is what actual misinformation looks like. The AP is hiding the key part of the story to protect Joe Biden.â
Political commentator Erick Erickson posted: âDoing heavy lifting for the Democratsâ agenda, @AP fails to include the detail that the suspects are illegal aliens.â
âNot only does AP not mention that both suspects are illegal aliens who were both recently caught & released at border, they donât even mention that they are from Venezuela, which police publicly disclosed,â said Fox News border correspondent Bill Melugin. âMedia across the country will use AP wires/reporting on this.â