Is a Venezuelan gang really taking over a Colorado apartment complex?

Residents of an apartment complex are protesting after video footage emerged showing men with long guns entering an apartment in Aurora, Colorado.

Danielle Jurinsky, Aurora City Councilmember
says the video first became public after a tenant provided doorbell camera footage to a local news station.

Over the past week, several online and TV news reports from other media outlets have reported claims that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA for short) has taken over The Edge at Lowry apartment complex. However, Aurora police say that is not the case.

On Tuesday, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump condemned the subjects of the video, describing the men as “tough young thugs” while vowing to crack down on immigrant crime if re-elected. Trump did not explain how or why he concluded the men were immigrants.

The claims have drawn mixed signals from politicians, with authorities describing the frenzy as “completely exaggerated.”

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An Aurora Police Department spokesperson told Scripps News that the video is authentic and was recorded on the evening of August 18. Police say they used a search warrant to obtain the long gun seen in the video. Police say they found it while investigating a nearby shooting that investigators believe involved the same people.

On Tuesday evening, residents of the complex held a press conference where they said they had not seen any large-scale gang presence or takeover.

“None of us feel threatened here,” one resident told dozens of neighbors and news reporters. “We don’t feel threatened by gangs, we feel threatened by the owner of this apartment who is constantly asking us to pay up and pay a higher price.”

In a personal interview with Scripps News Denver, Republican Mayor Mike Coffman said he went to the apartment complex with members of the Aurora Police Department to see it for themselves.

Coffman also pointed to immigration issues underlying alleged criminal activity. “It appears that some of those criminal elements have emerged here,” he said. “Venezuela, for example, does not cooperate with the United States, with our immigration authorities, when it comes to sharing criminal histories, so it’s difficult to screen people at the border.”

Coffman has dodged questions about the gang’s presence at the apartment complex, saying it appears the building is not run by management. But when asked if he had received confirmation from authorities that TdA was present, he said he had not.

“I think people are excited about the fact that it’s a transnational gang,” Coffman said. “I’m obviously concerned about it. But you know, honestly, for me personally, the most important thing is that we get these people off the streets, regardless of their affiliation. They’re bad. I need them off the streets.”

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According to Aurora police, officers visited the location on Sept. 30 and said it is not gang-controlled. However, they did say they arrested four people with confirmed or suspected ties to the Tren de Aragua gang in connection with a July shooting. Aurora police confirmed that at least one of those men has been turned over to ICE officials.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, has also weighed in. While he has not directly addressed the validity of concerns about Tren de Aragua in Aurora, he said all state resources are available to help if local law enforcement and government officials ask for them.