Law enforcement stated that they had labeled the deaths as a detest criminal activity after the remains of two girls had been present in a defectively burned vehicle a week ago.

Per week following systems of two transgender lady are present a defectively burned vehicles in Puerto Rico, the authorities mentioned Thursday which they got detained two guys regarding the the killings together with switched all of them up to the F.B.I.

The guys, Juan Carlos Pagan Bonilla, 21, and Sean Diaz de Leon, 19, were taken into guardianship on Wednesday but have perhaps not been energized, according to Capt. Teddy Morales, the chief of violent research when it comes to authorities in Humacao, on Puerto Rico’s eastern coast, in which the women’s stays were found on April 22.

The guy stated the F.B.I. got taken over the situation and got exploring Mr. Pagan Bonilla and Mr. Diaz de Leon for feasible civil-rights violations.

“We become classifying it a dislike criminal activity because they happened to be socializing aided by the subjects, and once they discovered these were transgender people, they made a decision to eliminate all of them,” chief Morales said on Thursday.

The authorities stated these were waiting around for autopsy results to figure out how the ladies was indeed slain. Activists have actually identified the ladies as Layla Pelaez, 21, and Serena Angelique Velazquez, 32, two family whom lived in New York City. Their stays happened to be discover after one also known as 911 to submit a burned car under a bridge on a desolate path in Humacao, before 5 a.m. on April 22, chief Morales mentioned.

Mr. Pagan Bonilla and Mr. Diaz Mexican dating apps de Leon was basically interacting with Ms. Velazquez and Ms. Pelaez throughout the night before these were murdered and had been taped on a single with the women’s social media marketing reports, chief Morales said.

He mentioned the police had additionally tied up Mr. Pagan Bonilla and Mr. Diaz de Leon for the killings through surveillance camera video footage and “scientific proof,” which he dropped to detail. Mr. Pagan Bonilla admitted to playing the killings, and Mr. Diaz de Leon switched themselves in, the guy stated.

Limary Cruz-Rubio, a spokeswoman when it comes down to F.B.I.’s San Juan field office, decreased to discuss the arrests but stated the bureau routinely collaborates with regional, county and federal organizations.

“The agency try and can often be into violent conduct which may drop within national legislation,” she said. “However, all of our rules are we really do not verify or reject the existence of investigations, to protect the ethics of every feasible investigative effort.”

Mr. Pagan Bonilla and Mr. Diaz de Leon could not immediately become reached for touch upon Thursday night, and it was not right away obvious as long as they have solicitors.

If the male is recharged, it can signify a switching part of the control of crimes against L.G.B.T.Q. people in Puerto Rico, which includes a disturbing reputation for physical violence against gay and transgender anyone, activists said.

Ms. Velazquez and Ms. Pelaez had been the 3rd and next transgender someone slain in Puerto Rico within the last few 2 months, activists mentioned. They were also thought to be the 7th and 8th transgender or gender-nonconforming men and women to are slain in the us this current year, according to research by the individual liberties venture.

Before 15 several months, 10 L.G.B.T.Q. individuals have been killed in Puerto Rico, according to Pedro Julio Serrano, a gay liberties activist. Just about three of this deaths stay unsolved, he mentioned.

“These arrests were a step when you look at the right course, nevertheless these murders have to be prosecuted as detest crimes,” Mr. Serrano mentioned. “We need government entities to complete the investigations during the more seven murders of L.G.B.T.Q. folks on the island and provide justice for all of them.”

Ms. Velazquez lived-in Queens and Ms. Pelaez into the Bronx. Both have lately traveled to Puerto Rico, in addition they had been likely to travel to ny later on this thirty days, per nearest and dearest and activists.

Luz Melendez, 29, Ms. Pelaez’s relative, said Mr. Pagan Bonilla and Mr. Diaz de Leon are detained after an area broadcast facility published photographs ones on myspace and individuals begun to name the section to determine them.

“We are extremely appreciative associated with the perform your authorities and the area place in discover who performed this,” she said on Thursday.

She stated the photographs came from two video clips that Ms. Pelaez had posted on her Snapchat and fb account, which demonstrated the girl and Ms. Velazquez socializing with Mr. Pagan Bonilla and Mr. Diaz de Leon.

“I noticed the videos, and it also appeared like they certainly were hanging out with each other as friends,” she said. “It seemed regular. There was clearly musical playing inside history. Everybody felt good.”

She said the authorities had told her household only the men happened to be in national guardianship.

The killings arrived four weeks after Yampi Mendez Arocho, a 19-year-old transgender people, got slain in Moca, P.R., in line with the Human liberties Campaign.

In February, Alexa Negron Luciano, a well-known figure on Puerto Rico social networking who was transgender and homeless, got recorded to passing after a McDonald’s visitors complained that Ms. Negron have spied on the in women’s place.

Ms. Negron’s final moments — framed when you look at the headlights of an automobile amid a cackle of fun — are submitted on social media marketing, a fact that activists stated underscored the impunity homophobic attackers become when committing these crimes.