Wildlife Park Dedication Honors Life of Texas Girl Allegedly Raped, Murdered by Tren de Aragua Gang Members

HOUSTON, Texas — U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Texas Governor Greg Abbott met near Houston to dedicate the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge. President Donald Trump ordered the park to be renamed in honor of the the life of the 12-year-old girl who was brutally kidnapped, raped, and murdered, reportedly by two alleged Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang members.

“It’s our vow that Jocelyn’s memory be tied to a place of protection, a place of life, and a place of healing,” Secretary Burgum said during the dedication. The Interior Secretary was joined by Governor Abbott, Jocelyn’s mother, Alexis Nungaray, members of her family, and Acting Fish and Wildlife Director Paul Souza.

Governor Abbott said in a post on X, “Jocelyn loved animals and nature. This sanctuary is a tribute to a beautiful young soul taken from us too soon.”

Fox26 Houston reported that the 39,000-acre refuge is a sanctuary for migratory birds and wildlife. It includes a butterfly garden, a walking trail, and wetlands.

Alexis Nungaray told Fox26, “It’s very bittersweet. It’s a tragedy why this is happening in the first place but such beauty can come in the midst of darkness.”

“Her name is on billboards, her name is on walls, her name is on pamphlets, it’s incredible,” Nungaray added. “Just knowing that she is being dedicated at a place that was one of her most absolute dreams. Have every animal have a safe place to go. It’s very bittersweet and very powerful to know that I’ve helped to make a difference for her, and I was able to help accomplish her dream.”

She said her daughter loved animals. “It didn’t matter if it was a kitten, a pigeon, or anything. Whether she was in a house, an apartment, it didn’t matter.”

“Jocelyn once told me that the world would know her name,” said Alexis Nungaray.“It is bittersweet that it came true in this way. We wanted her to be known for her talents. But I know she would have loved having this place named for her. She would have loved seeing the animals free and where they belong.”

During his address to a joint session of Congress, President Donald Trump ordered the national wildlife park to be renamed in her honor, Breitbart News reported.

“The death of this beautiful 12-year-old girl and the agony of her mother and family touched our entire nation greatly,” Trump said. “Alexis, I promised that we would always remember your daughter, your magnificent daughter, and earlier tonight, I signed an order keeping my word to you.”

Trump called the park a “sanctuary for all of God’s creatures.”

Alexis Nungaray is still fighting for justice for the attack that left her daughter murdered in Houston by the two suspected Tren de Aragua gang members.

“It makes it feel more real, and it brings me some type of hope in this case, because it just really shows that if it is solely proven that they have affiliation and are a part of this organization, it would make me know, and everyone else know, what they did was intentful, what they did had purpose,” Nungaray told Fox 26 in October 2024. “My daughter was unfortunately caught in the crossfire, at the wrong place at the wrong time, being someone they saw as the perfect target. Someone vulnerable, a young pretty girl, and they’re known [Tren de Aragua gang members] for rape and killing and just heinous things.”

Franklin Pena and Johan Martinez-Rangel remain in custody in the Harris County Jail on charges related to the attack on Nungaray.

Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He also serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.