Colorado police have identified 10 individuals associated with the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang operating in Aurora, with six now in custody.
On Wednesday, Aurora police spokesman Joe Moylan provided details to The Denver Post about the extent of the Venezuelan gang presence in the city, amidst ongoing social media uproar.
The identities of the 10 people and the charges against all six arrestees have yet to be released; however, several are in custody in connection with a previously reported shooting on Nome Street in July.
Moylan said officers have not arrested any gang members on charges related to collecting rent from residents at three Aurora properties owned by CBZ Property Management, according to the Post.
The properties have been a major hotspot for crime and point of contention due to the increase of Venezuelan gang members in Aurora.
CBZ reported unlivable conditions at its Aurora properties due to the criminal activity by Tren de Aragua.
Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman and other city officials backed the property group's claim, indicating the apartment complexes had "fallen to" the gang.
The problem was amplified by local and national media and further bolstered by a video gone viral that shows the men knocking on a door in the apartment complex, armed with guns.
On Friday, Aurora's interim police chief, Heather Morris, said gangs had not "taken over" one of the complexes, while other city officials and the properties' residents believe the unlivable conditions are a longstanding result of the company's mismanagement rather than an overwhelming gang presence.
"Every day we learn more about TdA, how it operates, and how we can identify suspected members," said Morris, adding that "it's still too soon to try to quantify TdA's presence in Aurora one way or the other."
Aurora police have only been able to publicly tie one crime to the Tren de Aragua gang-a July 28 shooting in which two men were shot and a third broke his ankle at the apartment building at 1568 Nome Street.
Originally published in Lawyer Herald
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