A downtown El Paso hotel and its owner have been issued a temporary injunction and restraining order by the county Attorney's Office following allegations of ongoing criminal activity at the hotel, including suspicions of involvement by members of the Venezuelan gang "Tren De Aragua."
The legal filing, submitted by El Paso County Attorney Christina Sanchez, highlights a series of violations at the Gateway Hotel, which has operated without a valid certificate of occupancy for the past six years.
The establishment has also failed multiple inspections by the El Paso Fire Department since July. The filing claims the hotel has been the site of repeated criminal incidents, with police responding to 693 calls over the last two years.
Police reports cite habitual criminal activity, including drug use, theft, and violent behavior within the hotel. Notably, video footage submitted as part of the evidence shows individuals partying, using weapons, and engaging in violent acts while security personnel are present. Officers also reported the presence of individuals with tattoos linked to the Tren De Aragua gang.
The Venezuelan-born gang has been making the headlines recently as a result of different reports regarding criminal activity in different parts of the U.S. Several of them have come from Colorado, where six alleged members were recently arrested in the city of Aurora.
Last Wednesday, Aurora police spokesman Joe Moylan provided details to The Denver Post about the extent of the Venezuelan gang presence in the city, especially amid claims that an apartment complex had been taken over by Tren de Aragua members.
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.
He did not describe the situation as a takeover, but CBZ reported unlivable conditions at its Aurora properties due to the criminal activity.
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.
"Every day we learn more about TdA, how it operates, and how we can identify suspected members," said Aurora's interim police chief, Heather Morris, adding that "it's still too soon to try to quantify TdA's presence in Aurora one way or the other."
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