ICE identifies two jet ski suspects in death of Air Force cadet candidate as undocumented immigrants

The suspect and her alleged accomplice involved in the jet ski hit-and-run incident that resulted in the death of an Air Force cadet candidate during Memorial Day weekend have been identified as illegal immigrants. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement official revealed this information.

At a news conference held in Grapevine, Texas, Joshua Johnson, the acting field director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Emergency Removal Operations in Dallas, confirmed the identities of the individuals. The suspects are 21-year-old Daikerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez Gonzalez and 21-year-old Maikel Coello Perozo, both hailing from Venezuela.

It is reported that Gonzalez was operating the jet ski that collided with and fatally injured 18-year-old Ava Moore at Grapevine Lake on Sunday. Moore, a cadet candidate at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), was part of the Class of 2029 at the military institution.

“It’s my understanding that both the individuals crossed the southern border in 2023 or 2024,” Johnson said. “They were arrested at the time of entry, processed on a notice to appear, and then released on their own recognizance.”

He added that ICE has lodged immigration detainers against the suspects, and that after the criminal justice proceedings against them in Texas are complete, they will be processed for removal. 

Capt. Joseph Quintero, game warden at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, announced that Gonzalez has been charged with second-degree felony manslaughter. 

Perozo has been charged with collision involving damage to a vehicle and hindering apprehension, both misdemeanors, after allegedly driving away from the scene with Gonzalez.

He said both were arrested in Dallas on Tuesday, and that the relationship between them remains unclear. 

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton first announced that the pair were in the country illegally on Tuesday night.  

“We’ve arrested an illegal alien for killing Ava Moore and another illegal alien connected to her death,” Paxton wrote in a Tuesday post on X.

“You know, we talked throughout the course of the year that at some point in her career she was going to be a four-star general because she loved it,” her coach, Ke’sha Blanton, told the outlet. “She made those around her better.”

Blanton said she is feeling sadness and anger over Moore’s death. 

“They took a bright, bright star from our lives,” she said. 

Investigators said two women were on a jet ski that struck Moore on Sunday evening.

According to police, a passenger on the jet ski remained on the scene, while the operator of the craft allegedly fled and then left with a male. The pair allegedly crashed into a vehicle during their escape from the scene. 

Moore was pulled to shore and treated for severe head trauma before being taken to a nearby hospital where she later died, the outlet reported. 

“Our thoughts are with Ava’s family and friends during this difficult time. Texas Game Wardens remain committed to keeping our public waters safe,” the Grapevine Police Department shared in a statement. 

Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected]