Venezuelan national accused of claiming control over Arizona community, threatening residents: report

A Venezuelan nationalist accused of threatening Arizona residents astatine gunpoint portion claiming power implicit portion of a Maricopa County assemblage is facing aggregate felony charges, including terrorism, authorities said.

Arizona Department of Public Safety investigators allege Javier Enrique Erazo-Zuniga, 27, claimed power implicit portion of Maricopa and threatened residents with deadly weapons successful an effort to extort money, according to reporting by InMaricopa and statements from authorities authorities.

DPS spokesperson Bart Graves told InMaricopa detectives began investigating Erazo-Zuniga successful December aft receiving accusation that helium was "claiming Hidden Valley successful Maricopa arsenic his territory and demanding wealth from victims."

Investigators allege Erazo-Zuniga was tied to a bid of convulsive incidents involving residents who were targeted astatine their homes. In 1 2024 incident, authorities accidental helium enactment a unfortunate successful a headlock and held a weapon to the person’s neck, leaving a cut. Last month, investigators allege helium waited astatine the extremity of different victim’s driveway and held the unfortunate astatine gunpoint.

Javier Enrique Erazo-Zuniga, a Venezuelan national, was arrested successful Maricopa, Arizona, for allegedly extorting residents and claiming power implicit portion of the community. (Joshua Lott/Reuters; Pinal County Sheriff’s Office)

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During a hunt of Erazo-Zuniga’s bedroom, detectives recovered a firearm believed to person been utilized successful the December gunpoint incident, Graves said.

Erazo-Zuniga was booked into the Pinal County Jail, wherever jailhouse records amusement helium remains successful custody connected a $250,000 secured bond. He was aboriginal indicted by a Pinal County expansive jury.

Court records obtained by the outlet amusement the expansive assemblage charged Erazo-Zuniga with aggravated battle involving a firearm, 2 counts of forgery and 2 counts of misconduct involving weapons, including possession of handguns portion prohibited. Prosecutors allege the aggravated battle complaint qualifies arsenic a unsafe felony due to the fact that it progressive the usage oregon threatened accumulation of a firearm.

Javier Enrique Erazo-Zuniga is successful custody astatine the Pinal County Sheriff's Office. (Google Maps)

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DPS has besides stated that Erazo-Zuniga is charged with assisting a transgression thoroughfare pack and terrorism, though those allegations were outlined by the bureau alternatively than elaborate successful the indictment documents released by the Pinal County Superior Court. Authorities person said further charges could beryllium forthcoming, perchance astatine the national level.

According to a infinitesimal introduction filed successful superior court, Erazo-Zuniga is scheduled to beryllium arraigned Friday.

Graves said investigators judge determination whitethorn beryllium aggregate further victims, but that immoderate person been acrophobic to travel forward.

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"We promote them to interaction our extremity line," Graves said. DPS asked anyone with accusation related to the lawsuit to telephone 602-644-5805.

Authorities person not confirmed whether the probe could grow beyond Maricopa.

The lawsuit comes amid heightened nationalist instrumentality enforcement scrutiny of Venezuelan transgression groups pursuing a bid of high-profile investigations successful Colorado successful 2024 and 2025.

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Federal prosecutors determination indicted Venezuelan nationals accused of participating successful organized robberies, kidnappings, extortion schemes and firearms offenses tied to the transnational pack Tren de Aragua. While immoderate aboriginal claims of pack "takeovers" were aboriginal disputed oregon clarified, authorities person confirmed aggregate convulsive cases involving coordinated transgression enactment and equipped suspects.

Fox News Digital has reached retired to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Homeland Security Investigations, the Pinal County Attorney’s Office and the FBI for further information.

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send communicative tips to [email protected].