Refuge to be rebranded following Trump order

WASHINGTON, D.C.— The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge will see a name change after President Donald Trump ordered the rebranding during his address to a joint session of Congress.

The Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge was renamed on March 5 to honor Jocelyn Nungaray, 12, who was murdered by two Venezuelan nationals.

Before announcing the order, Trump shared details on the last moments of Nungaray 's life.

Nungaray was kidnapped, sexually assaulted and murdered by two "illegal alien monsters from Venezuela" on June 17, 2024.

"One thing I learned about Jocelyn is that she loved animals so much. She loved nature," Trump said. "Across Galveston Bay from where Jocelyn lived in Houston, you'll find a magnificent national wildlife refuge, a pristine, peaceful 34,000-acre sanctuary for all of God's creatures, on the edge of the Gulf of America. Alexis, moments ago, I formally renamed that refuge in loving memory of your beautiful daughter Jocelyn."

Nungaray's mother, Alexis Nungaray, a Houston native, attended Trump's address. In a livestream of the address, Alexis was seen saying "thank you" after Trump showed the order.

“It truly means a lot to me and my family to know that the Trump Administration is doing everything in their power to stop crime that we have with illegal immigrants coming here, Nungaray said. “I truly feel that the Trump Administration has done everything in their power to raise awareness and speak up and stop what is happening because it doesn’t need to happen anymore.”

Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 22, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, were charged with capital murder in the killing of Nungaray.

The two men are affiliated with Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan criminal organization. During Gov. Greg Abbott's State of the State address, where Nungaray's mother was also in attendance, he acknowledged Nungaray after declaring Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organization.

Recently, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security also named Tren de Aragua a foreign terrorist organization.

Within 30 days of Trump signing the executive order, the wildlife refuge must be renamed to the Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge, according to whitehouse.gov.

"Recently, we have learned along with the rest of the United States that the name changed from Anahuac (to) Jocelyn Nungaray National Wildlife Refuge," ANWR Manager Kristin Fritz-Grammond said on Saturday, March 8 at a Friends of Anahuac Refuge ceremony.

FOAR President Kay Lovelace explained on Saturday that the refuge does not yet have instructions from the Trump Administration and that the board will provide details as they come.

Monday, March 10, the U.S. Department of Interior posted a press release stating signage and materials will be updated in the coming months to reflect the new name.

The release states, “Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, it is part of the National Wildlife Refuge System and plays a vital role in coastal conservation, public recreation, and environmental education. Now, it will also stand as a solemn tribute to Jocelyn’s memory and a symbol of the Trump administration’s commitment to protecting American communities.”

The refuge has already been renamed on Google Maps and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website. However, individual locations, such as the visitor's center and Skillern Tract, remain the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. Monday morning, the refuge’s Facebook profile picture was updated to reflect the name change, but the account name remains Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge.