By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2025-01-28 19:43:48 | Updated at 2025-01-31 03:03:46
2 days ago
City residents were stunned by Tuesday’s immigration raids — with neighbors of the accused gang leader nabbed brazenly living in The Bronx saying they were terrified to learn of his alleged violent past.
“Oh, s–t! For real?” a shocked local responded when The Post told him of the alleged criminal history of his busted neighbor. “Yo, if he was doing what he was doing here and they was all looking for him, he’s got some big balls! He didn’t give a f–k.
“He wasn’t afraid of doing nothing because he was moving, doing his business right in the open,” the neighbor said, alluding to criminal activity. “Right in front of the building. I know he didn’t have no papers, so I figured that was it, like he didn’t have to worry. But God damn!”
His neighbor, identified by the feds as 25-year-old Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, an alleged violent bigwig with the vicious Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, was one of more than 30 wanted, accused, illegal-migrant criminals picked up by the feds in New York City on Tuesday.
Zambrano-Pacheco, who was living among hard-working New Yorkers across the street from an elementary school, PS 11, in Highbridge, is described as a leader of the gang’s crew in Aurora, Colo., and was named in a warrant for kidnapping, burglary and menacing in that state.
The Tuesday morning raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security agents that nabbed the gangbanger and others marked the first major operation in the five boroughs under President Trump’s promised crackdown on illegal migrants and outlaw foreign gang members.
“They moved in in September or October of this past year,” said building resident Emanuel Joseph, who lived across the hall from Zambrano-Pacheco, a woman and baby on the first floor. “They were cooperative, very friendly. I was surprised when the men came this morning and asked me about them.
“They take them away, and I couldn’t believe my ears what they were telling me,” said Joseph, 64.
He said of the family, “They always had one little baby girl. They don’t speak English. I work a lot, and I only saw them on Saturday and Sunday I would see them often on Saturday and Sunday in front of the building.
“I am shocked at what [ICE] told me.”
A third-floor tenant said she heard a woman and a baby crying in the apartment after the raids.
“I don’t know him, but I’ve spoken to her once or twice,” the neighbor said. “She’s very, very quiet.
“Oh God,” she added. They got him though, right? Oh my God. I had no idea that’s who was living in my building. Oh, thank God they got him.”
Another building resident said Zambrano-Pacheco was led out in shackles by the feds, and had “an angry expression” on his face while being taken away.
“I’ve lived here many years and I have never seen him come in or out of the building. He had good, slicked-back hair. He had a real angry expression on his face,” the woman said. “Everyone in the building is just asking who else are they coming for? How are they picking the people?
“A lot of people don’t have their papers here, and there is a lot of fear,” she added. “We need to know how they are picking people.”
New Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined the agents in the raids, which started in the Bronx and hit targets elsewhere in the five boroughs.
ICE officials said there have been 1,179 arrests and 853 detainers for deportation lodged Monday, and carried out 956 arrests while issuing 554 detainers Sunday leading up to Tuesday’s New York raids.
