A newly obtained video by Fox31 in Aurora, Colorado, shows several men entering an apartment building while brandishing unholstered handguns and rifles without slings. The video, taken at The Edge at Lowry apartments, depicts the men proceeding through a door inside the building. The complex has become a hotspot for reported criminal activity. The owners of the video stated it was recorded shortly before a shootout at the complex that left one person seriously injured and several vehicles damaged by gunfire. FOX31 showed the video to Aurora City Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky, who said that the complex had been overrun by a Venezuelan gang. “The city nonprofits have lined up to help the migrants that have come here but nobody is helping the Americans that are trapped in these apartment complexes,” Jurinsky said. “This isn’t just Americans. Other Venezuelans are being extorted by this gang.” On Aug. 29, local law enforcement released a statement about the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA). “We are aware that components of TdA are operating in Aurora,” the Aurora Police Department (APD) said in a statement. “APD has been increasingly collecting evidence to show the gang is connected to crimes in the area,” the statement continued. “However, as we have said previously and as the DEA similarly stated, it would be improper at this time for the city and APD to make any conclusory statements about specific incidents or provide details about law enforcement strategy and operations.” Tren de Aragua is a transnational criminal gang that originated in a Venezuelan prison and has been described as “the most disruptive criminal organization operating in Latin America” by retired General Óscar Naranjo, a former vice president of Colombia and chief of the Colombian National Police. Over the years, the gang has developed revenue sources through an array of criminal activity, including kidnapping, human trafficking, extortion, and illicit drug trafficking. The gang’s leadership operated out of the notorious Tocorón prison, which they controlled. When Venezuelan authorities raided it last September, they discovered a swimming pool and several restaurants, along with weapons, including automatic rifles, and thousands of rounds of ammunition. In July, the Biden administration designated Tren de Aragua as a significant transnational criminal organization, announcing that all of the group’s assets within the U.S. would be frozen. “Today’s designation of Tren de Aragua as a significant Transnational Criminal Organization underscores the escalating threat it poses to American communities,” said Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson. “As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts to target Transnational Criminal Organizations, we will deploy all tools and authorities against organizations like Tren de Aragua that prey on vulnerable populations to generate revenue, engage in a range of criminal activities across borders, and abuse the U.S. financial system.”A dangerous Venezuelan gang that federal authorities have been warning about is now reportedly taking control of multiple apartment complexes in the U.S.
