Suspects accused of killing 12-year-old Texas girl arrested, released by ICE before being killed

The two suspects charged with capital murder in connection with the death of a 12-year-old Texas girl were arrested and released by the U.S. Border Patrol in the months before the killing.

Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, and Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 22, “both entered the United States illegally without inspection, parole or admission by a U.S. immigration officer on an unknown date and in an unknown location ” said a spokesperson for the US Department of Immigration and Immigration. Customs enforcement said in a statement to PEOPLE.

Ramos was arrested by Border Patrol agents near El Paso on May 28, and Martinez was arrested near the same city on March 14, the spokesperson said. The Venezuelan nationals were later released on bail and summoned to appear in court at a later date.

Both men are currently being held in Harris County Jail on capital murder charges, the agency spokesperson confirmed.

Authorities say they killed Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old girl who was found dead in a Houston creek on the morning of June 17, PEOPLE previously reported. It’s unclear exactly how these men ended up in Houston.

According to KHOU, Ramos’ bail was set at $10 million during a June 24 court appearance, while Martinez is expected to appear in court later this week. It is unclear whether they have pleaded or retained attorneys to speak on their behalf.

At a press conference last week, Houston Police Lt. Stephen Hope said the suspects were spotted on surveillance cameras talking to Jocelyn after visiting a local restaurant on Sunday, June 16. Shortly after, all three walked together to a convenience store, then drove to a bridge, where investigators believe Jocelyn was murdered.

The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences confirmed in an email to PEOPLE that Jocleyn’s cause of death was strangulation and the manner of her death was homicide.

Houston police previously said they believed Jocelyn slipped out of her home around 10 p.m. that evening. She was found dead in a shallow area of ​​the creek the next morning.

Although investigators have not yet revealed the relationship between the suspects and Jocelyn, the girl’s mother, Alexis Nungaray, told KPRC 2 she had never seen the men before.

“No idea who they are,” she told the outlet. “I think it’s very cowardly of one of them to try to change their appearance thinking it would make a difference. But the city of Houston is much stronger than these individuals. And we’re going to give them what they deserve.

Alexis also spoke at a press conference on Monday, June 24, where she thanked the community for their support and remembered her daughter as someone who “definitely made people laugh,” according to KHOU.

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“She had such a bright future ahead of her and I knew she would go very far,” she said. “And, you know, these monsters took this opportunity from him, from our family.”

A GoFundMe for Jocelyn’s family has raised more than $63,000 as of June 24.

District Attorney Kim Ogg said during the news conference that both suspects could face the death penalty if evidence leads investigators to believe they sexually assaulted or kidnapped Jocelyn, according to Fox 26 Houston.