Federal immigration officers have arrested a Venezuelan national wanted in his home country for a brutal attempted femicide involving a firearm and physical assault. The suspect, identified as Raul Enrique Pargas Rodriquez, 31, was taken into custody on August 14 in Plano, Texas.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Pargas is the subject of a Venezuelan warrant for attempted aggravated femicide following a violent attack on a woman in February 2021. Authorities allege Pargas lured the victim to his workshop and subjected her to a Russian roulette-style assault, during which he struck her, insulted her, and pointed a loaded pistol at her head after removing and replacing bullets in the chamber. The victim escaped before the attack escalated further.
“This dangerous criminal alien allegedly beat, demeaned and tortured a young woman in some twisted version of Russian roulette and then fled to the United States when his attempt to murder her fell apart,” said Joshua Johnson, acting field office director for ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations in Dallas. “Thanks to a tip from the U.S. Border Patrol, we were able to track him down and safely take him into custody so that he can be repatriated to Venezuela to face justice for his alleged crimes.”
After the 2021 attack, Pargas fled Venezuela and illegally entered the United States near Eagle Pass, Texas, on August 10, 2022. He was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol that same day but released on his own recognizance pending immigration proceedings.
More than a year later, on November 28, 2023, ICE reencountered Pargas following his arrest for assault in Dallas County. However, due to prosecutorial discretion under the immigration enforcement priorities at the time, he was not taken into ICE custody.
That changed on August 14, when ICE received an investigative referral from Border Patrol indicating Pargas was living in North Texas and was actively wanted in Venezuela. Working with the U.S. Marshals Service and the Texas Department of Public Safety, ERO officers located and arrested Pargas without incident.
He remains in ICE custody pending disposition of his immigration case.
