Brothers, roommate of man who killed Laken Riley in Athens to be deported

Jose, Diego and Argenis Ibarra

ATHENS, Ga. - A Venezuelan man who entered the United States illegally and was linked to the murder investigation of nursing student Laken Hope Riley on the University of Georgia campus in Athens has been sentenced to 48 months in federal prison and will be deported upon completion of his sentence.

PREVIOUS: Diego Ibarra, brother of Laken Riley murder suspect, pleads guilty to fake green card

Diego Jose Ibarra, 29, also known as "Gocho," pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a fraudulent document and was sentenced on March 19 by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. Self, III. His brother, Argenis Ibarra, 25, and former roommate, Rosbeli Flores-Bello, 29, were sentenced to time served and will be deported immediately.

Murder Investigation Led to Arrest

What we know:

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) became aware of Diego Ibarra's illegal presence in the U.S. during the murder investigation of Laken Hope Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was kidnapped and killed while jogging near the University of Georgia campus on Feb. 22, 2024.

COMPLETE LAKEN RILEY COVERAGE

Authorities initially detained Diego Ibarra on Feb. 23, 2024, when an Athens-Clarke County police officer stopped him due to his resemblance to the primary murder suspect—his brother, Jose Antonio Ibarra. At the time, Diego Ibarra provided a fake U.S. Green Card as identification.

His brother, Jose Ibarra, was convicted of Riley’s murder on Nov. 20, 2024, and is currently serving a life sentence.

Illegal Entry and Criminal Background

The backstory:

Records show Diego Ibarra illegally entered the U.S. on April 30, 2023, near El Paso, Texas, after previously being deported to Mexico on April 3, 2023. He resisted arrest at the border, fought U.S. Border Patrol agents, and cut off his GPS ankle monitor after being placed in an Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program.

While in Athens, Diego Ibarra was arrested three times in 2023 for DUI, shoplifting, and failure to appear in court. While in custody, officers also found him in possession of makeshift weapons and responsible for damaging a jail fire sprinkler system.

Argenis Ibarra (Diego and Jose Ibarra’s younger brother) and Rosbeli Flores-Bello (their roommate) admitted to possessing fraudulent U.S. Permanent Resident Cards. Authorities also discovered counterfeit Social Security cards in their shared apartment.

Argenis Ibarra illegally entered the U.S. on April 3, 2023, but was quickly deported to Mexico. He crossed again on April 30, 2023, was arrested, and later released due to lack of detention space. His requests for work authorization were rejected.

Flores-Bello illegally entered on May 3, 2023, was arrested, and released due to space constraints. She initially settled in New York before moving to Athens in December 2023 with Jose Ibarra.

Deportation and Investigation

What's next:

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will take custody of all three defendants. Diego Ibarra will be deported after serving his sentence, while Argenis Ibarra and Flores-Bello will be immediately removed from the country.

The case was part of Operation Take Back America, a federal initiative targeting illegal immigration and transnational crime. The investigation involved HSI, FBI, GBI, Athens-Clarke County Police, University of Georgia Police, and the Clarke County Sheriff's Office.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison.

Big picture view:

The murder of Laken Riley resulted in national outrage and led to the creation of the Laken Riley Act, which was the first piece of legislation that President Trump signed into law after his inauguration in January.

Riley's mother and sister were also recently invited to sit with first lady Melanie Trump at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., as President Trump addressed a joint session of Congress.

The Laken Riley Act has also been used to deport a Guatemalan citizen from Indiana who reportedly caused a fatal car crash.

Athens-Clarke County Crime and Public Safety News