Mayor of Aurora, Colorado, blames government after gangs take over apartment complexes

Aurora, Colorado Mayor Mike Coffman has spoken out after video footage emerged online allegedly showing Venezuelan gangs taking over several apartment complexes in the city.

He said he believes the gang members who allegedly took over the apartment buildings are Venezuelan citizens, noting that the buildings are also home to a high “concentration” of illegal Venezuelan immigrants.

The mayor did not specify which criminal organizations exactly had taken over the buildings.

“So there are multiple buildings that are actually under the same ownership, outside of state ownership, that have fallen into the hands of these Venezuelan gangs,” the mayor said.

The buildings are dilapidated, often vacant and rents are relatively low, he said.

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Coffman noted that the city has created a task force of local, state and federal law enforcement officials to help address the “intimidation” that occurs at the apartment buildings toward individuals who own a property.

The mayor said he is also investigating why there is such a high concentration of Venezuelans in the three buildings.

“Somebody put them there, is it an agency of the federal government, maybe using some of our local nonprofits as a conduit?” he said.

He later turned his sights on the federal government.

“My understanding is that Venezuela has no criminal history with the United States, so it’s very difficult to control them at the border, and yet they were allowed in,” Coffman said.

The mayor added that the city of Aurora “took a position early on” that it “would not participate in the migrant crisis” and “would not provide taxpayer assistance.”

Government is to blame, says Aurora mayor

“This is not our problem, this is a problem that was created by the federal government at the border with bad policies, and so it is the federal government that has to solve this problem, not the city of Aurora,” he said.

The Epoch Times reached out to the White House for comment but had not received a response by the time of publication.

Coffman made the comments after video footage surfaced online showing a group of heavily armed men, three carrying handguns and one carrying a rifle, entering an apartment complex in Aurora and then walking into an apartment in the building.

Aurora has seen an increase in the number of crimes that authorities attribute to the international criminal gang Tren de Aragua (TdA).

According to the U.S. Treasury Department, the gang, which originated in the Aragua region of Venezuela, engaged in criminal activities including human smuggling and trafficking, money laundering, and illegal drug trafficking.

According to the department, the gang is rapidly expanding its presence across the Western Hemisphere.

The task force is working with local, state and federal partners, including the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the department said.

“We are aware that elements of TdA are active in Aurora. APD is continuing to gather evidence that the gang has ties to crimes in the area,” police said. “However, as we have stated previously and as the DEA has stated, it would be inappropriate at this time for the city and APD to make any conclusive statements regarding specific incidents or provide details regarding law enforcement strategy and operations.”

Aurora police have not commented specifically on the incidents surrounding the alleged takeover of several buildings.

“Based on our initial investigative work, we believe the reports of TdA impact in Aurora are isolated,” the department said.