DHS says two women killed six years apart in Texas should still be alive after illegal immigrant's arrest

First on Fox: Two women allegedly murdered by an illegal immigrant in Texas six years apart should still be alive, the Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday.

Luis Fernando Benitez-González, 26, a Mexican citizen, is linked to the murders of 34-year-old Alyssa Ann Rivera in Austin and 28-year-old Alba Jenisse Aviles in Bastrop County, authorities said. He was arrested in Dallas on April 27 by U.S. Marshals and other law enforcement agencies.

"This illegal alien from Mexico is accused of murdering two women in Texas," said DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis. "He has also been arrested for charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of dangerous drugs.

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"Alba Jenisse Aviles and Alyssa Ann Rivera should still be alive today," she added.

Benitez-González is charged with first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to jail records in Travis County, where he is currently being held. He also has a previous drug possession charge, according to DHS.

He was connected to the killings through DNA evidence, authorities said.

Aviles was murdered on April 14, 2018; her body was discovered by a passing motorist. She was last seen alive at Club Caribe in Austin with an unidentified Hispanic man. Bastrop County detectives found evidence that Aviles had been dragged, strangled, and assaulted, noting mud on her clothing and feet, bruising on her neck, chin, and lip, and blood on her face and the exterior of her car.

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Detectives also found one of her earrings 10 feet away from the vehicle, Fox 7 Austin reported.

Benitez-González told detectives he was defending himself, claiming Aviles attacked him during an argument over drugs. He allegedly admitted to grabbing her by the neck from behind and strangling her for approximately seven minutes.

Rivera's body was found by Austin police in an abandoned home on June 21, 2024. She was discovered with an extension cord wrapped around her neck. Police also found a bloody rock, bloody handprints, and evidence that Rivera had been forcibly dragged into the house and assaulted.

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A medical examiner determined Rivera had been struck in the head and nose. Surveillance footage showed her walking with a man shortly before she was killed. In that case, Benitez-González claimed Rivera tried to strangle him with a seatbelt, which he then turned on her, according to reports.

"There was DNA found at both scenes," APD Sgt. Nathan Sexton said in 2024. "Multiple sources of DNA at both scenes, but the same suspect links back in both cases."

The suspect, however, was not in the police database because he had no prior arrest record. In December 2025, Austin detectives were notified of two incidents where a man shot two women in separate attacks weeks apart. Authorities later received a tip that Benitez-González was the shooter and was attempting to sell firearms in an effort to flee the United States.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Dallas Police Department and the Dallas County Sheriff's Office for further comment.