One suspect still on the run as case exposes Tren de Aragua’s reach into Pennsylvania vacation communities

Monroe County, PA — The flyer promised an unforgettable 22nd birthday bash at a rented Poconos cabin. It ended with eight gunshots and a young man dead on the floor.

When police arrived at the Emerald Lakes rental on January 12, they found the door ajar, blood at the entrance, and the home abandoned. Lionardo Hernandez-Zarata lay inside, struck eight times by three different weapons. Guests had fled, leaving behind suitcases, Venezuelan IDs, and drugs scattered throughout the property.

Nearly a year later, one of three men charged in his killing remains a fugitive.

A Dispute Over a DJ Fee

The violence traced back to something mundane: an argument over payment.

Hernandez-Zarata had hired Jesus Oliveros Sosa to DJ his multi-day party. When a dispute arose over the fee, prosecutors say Oliveros Sosa called his brothers for backup.

Oscar Quilarque Sosa, 31, and Oswaldo Solorzano Sosa, 37, arrived with 24-year-old Josthin Landaeta Perez and about ten others. After a confrontation, the group was kicked out. They returned, forced their way back in, and opened fire.

Two other partygoers were wounded. The shooters vanished into the night.

The FBI Connection

The break came unexpectedly. One day after the killing, the FBI called Monroe County investigators—they’d been tracking Oscar Sosa in a separate firearms and narcotics case out of New York.

Federal agents arrested him January 13. A search of his vehicle turned up three guns matching the calibers used in the shooting, including a Glock modified with an illegal “switch” that converts it to fully automatic.

Investigators also recovered video of men brandishing weapons with references to “Tren de Aragua”—a Venezuelan gang that started in a prison and has since spread across the Americas.

Gang Ties on Both Sides

District Attorney Mike Mancuso confirmed that both the suspects and the victim showed indicators of Tren de Aragua involvement. The gang, born in Venezuela’s Tocorón Prison, has expanded into the U.S. as millions fled the country’s collapse.

The case echoed a May 2024 shooting at another Poconos rental—also involving Venezuelan nationals at a multi-day party—raising questions about oversight in the region’s booming short-term rental market.

One Still Missing

Oscar Sosa and Landaeta Perez are in custody in New York awaiting extradition. The DJ faces charges for hindering apprehension.

But Oswaldo Solorzano Sosa has been a fugitive since January. Warrants are out. Authorities need the public’s help.

Hernandez-Zarata was 22. He rented a cabin, made a party flyer, and never saw 23.

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Tips on Oswaldo Solorzano Sosa’s whereabouts: Contact Pocono Mountain Regional Police or the Monroe County DA’s Office.