Colorado City Officials Dismiss Concerns About Venezuelan Gangs Taking Over Apartment Buildings: ‘Overblown’ – DNyuz

Officials in a Colorado city insisted the “hysteria” surrounding concerns about Venezuelan gang members taking over apartment complexes was being “exaggerated” by the media.

The Denver Post reported Wednesday on growing fears in the city of Aurora after surveillance footage showed armed members of the Tren de Aragua gang attempting to break into an apartment complex. Although the footage went viral, City Council members Stephanie Hancock and Alison Coombs suggested the threat was being exaggerated by the media.

“Those stories are really exaggerated. If you didn’t live here, you’d swear we were being taken over by a gang and Aurora was under siege,” Hancock told The Denver Post. “That’s just not true.”

“There is a hysteria that we apparently have a gang problem, but in reality we have a slum landlord problem in the city of Aurora,” Coombs said.

Aurora city officials and some citizens called for more attention to landlords who they say are responsible for the poor living conditions.

“State law is clear about a homeowner’s responsibility to address health hazards and code violations in the apartment buildings they own,” city spokesman Michael Brannen said in a statement to The Denver Post. “We will continue to aggressively pursue a solution to address the poor conditions that are affecting residents.”

“They say there are gangs and criminals, but the only criminal here is the owner,” said resident Moises Didenot.

Their comments contradicted comments Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman made last week on “America Reports” suggesting some buildings fell under gang control.

“So there are multiple buildings that are actually under the same ownership, outside of government ownership, that have fallen into the hands of these Venezuelan gangs. I’m trying to push back and investigate how there is a concentration of Venezuelans in these three buildings,” Coffman said.

“Somebody put them there and somebody funded it, whether it’s the federal government or not, we’re trying to figure out who, these gangs apparently, or are attracted to a concentration of Venezuelan migrants. And so they basically forced the property management out through intimidation and then collected the rent,” he added.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Aurora city council members and police for comment but has not yet received a response.

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