Footage surfaced of gang members, believed to be members of Venezuelan-born gang Tren de Aragua, taking over an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, as local law enforcement have formed a task force aimed at taking them down.
The images show a group of hooded individuals wielding rifles and pistols pounding a door and entering different apartments while one speaks over the phone.
NEW VIDEO armed group at troubled #aurora #colorado apartment complex now home to many migrants. Councilmember @DaniJurinsky says gangs have taken over the complex @KDVR @AuroraPD pic.twitter.com/J1uie8Y2M6
— Vicente Arenas (@vicentearenastv) August 28, 2024
Authorities have not confirmed whether the people are in fact members of Tren de Aragua, but council member Danielle Jurinsky told local outlet Fox 31 that the building had been taken over by a Venezuelan gang. "This isn't just Americans. Other Venezuelans are being extorted by this gang," she added.
The footage was recorded by a couple shortly before a shooting that left one person wounded and several vehicles damaged. The couple later moved out of the apartment due to safety concerns.
Law enforcement said it's investigating the incident. At a more general level, they launched a task force formed by different agencies, saying they are "aware that components of Tren de Aragua are operating in Aurora."
Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman said the task force is already operative, adding that one of its initial areas of focus is connecting with and learning from the community.
"We're also aggressively, you know, having presence in these pockets where there's concentrations of Venezuelan migrants, to be able to try to ourselves, or at least our law enforcement personnel at the local, state and federal levels, to identify who these bad actors are and get them off the street," Coffman said.
Mexican authorities recently warned that a large number of potential gang members are making their way to the U.S. through the El Paso, Texas-Juarez, Mexico corridor to unlawfully enter the country.
Designated as a transnational criminal organization by the U.S. Treasury Department last month, Tren de Aragua is known for engaging in criminal activities for profit such as human smuggling, drug trafficking, money laundering and gender-based violence.
As encounters continue to rise, Mexican border authorities remain on high alert. Although no murders or other acts of extreme violence have been reported locally, Loya said that the members have been linked to three homicides in Central Mexico, allegedly killing two women as well as one of their own gang members. "It is something that has set off (red) lights," Loya said. "These people who lost their lives were possibly killed by Tren de Aragua.
In an attempt to combat the gang, Chihuahua's government invited a Chilean gang expert to brief its police commanders on the tactics used by Tren de Aragua members to infiltrate countries outside of Venezuela.
"They come in by networking with smaller local groups," Loya said. "They keep a low profile – and this is important – because by the time authorities realize this, they are already there and not detected until caught committing a crime."
The criminal group has recently expanded to other South American countries, including Bolivia, Colombia, Peru and Chile.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
