Aurora takes steps to demolish Venezuelan gang apartment building in bid

Mayor Mike Coffman of Aurora, Colorado, announced Friday that the city is beginning to evacuate apartment buildings where the transnational armed gang Tren de Aragua has taken control.

In a statement on Facebook, Coffman said that “the Aurora District Attorney’s Office is preparing court documents to seek an emergency order to vacate apartment buildings where Venezuelan gangs operate, declaring the properties a ‘criminal nuisance.'”

“This will require a municipal judge to issue an injunction to return these properties to the owners. In the meantime, the law enforcement task force that was created to disrupt and arrest Venezuelan gang members in these buildings will continue its work. I strongly believe the best course of action is to close these buildings and ensure that this never happens again,” Coffman concluded.

One has already been arrested. In an email to Fox News Digital, Aurora police confirmed that Tren de Aragua leader “Cookie Monster” is currently in custody in connection with a July 28 shooting.

According to sources at the Department of Homeland Security, Fox 31 reports that the men seen in the viral video are armed members of the Tren de Aragua gang.

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The effort to arrest the armed Venezuelan gang members follows a wave of national media attention for the city of Aurora, thanks to the efforts of City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky.

After helping residents Cindy and Edward Romero on Wednesday, they were able to share a video that has since gone viral online and on television.

Jurinsky was soon profiled on Ingraham Angle, where she told the Romero story, and Cindy Romero was a guest on America Reports on Friday to draw attention to the issue.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has come under fire for his handling of the situation, including from Romero himself, who said the Democrat “wouldn’t survive five minutes” in the building. His spokesperson, Shelby Weiman, told the New York Post on Thursday that the issue was “largely a feature of Danielle Jurinsky’s imagination.”

After Fox News Digital reached out for comment in response to Romero’s statement in America Reports, the governor’s office responded, “Colorado is a state with a zero-tolerance policy for illegal activity.”

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“The Governor hopes that the City of Aurora shares this core value and will uphold the law. Over the past month, Governor Polis has been in regular contact with the City of Aurora and the Aurora Police Department and has offered all state resources to support their efforts if requested,” said spokeswoman Shelby Wieman.

“If Danielle Jurinsky has evidence of illegal activity in Aurora that could support the investigation, it may even be illegal to withhold it from Aurora Police and she should file a report immediately. The state has been prepared for weeks to support any Aurora Police Department operation necessary to make Aurora safer,” the statement concluded.

The capital and largest city of Colorado, Denver, is a sanctuary city. Aurora is a suburb of Denver.

According to a resident, the apartment building has been completely overrun by the alleged gang members. The locks have also been changed. (Councillor Danielle Jurinsky)

Jurinsky noted that she is not the only local official speaking out, though the governor’s office singles her out in statements. “There are other council members speaking out about this, just like there are other council members speaking out, and they just don’t have the platform that I do to really get the fire. But there are other council members speaking out. I’m not the only one,” Jurinsky told Fox News Digital.

Polis’ office did not respond to a request for clarification on whether the governor intended to threaten Jurinsky with his statement.

Jurinsky celebrated this in a phone call with Fox News Digital, saying: “I’m glad that what I said has now been confirmed. It’s a shame that people had to suffer for so long, but I’m glad that this gang is now being dealt with.”

Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky moved several residents out of an occupied apartment building on Wednesday. (Danielle Jurinsky)

“I hope that in the future I will be taken more seriously and heard when I first bring something to light. Aurora is my hometown and it is worth the fight! Thank you to all the police officers and residents who helped me bring this to light,” Jurinsky added.

It is still unclear when exactly the armed gang members will be arrested and the buildings will be evacuated.

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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Denver did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.