Officials in Colorado have dropped all charges against the landlord of the Aurora apartment complex that was involved in a violent gang takeover by members of the Tren de Aragua (TdA), a violent Venezuelan migrant gang. The charges against the landlord were related to his failure to maintain the property, as well as another property where a viral video showed TdA members breaking down the door with heavy artillery. The agreement between the city and Nome Partners stated that in exchange for dropping the charges, the landlord waived his right to a speedy trial and agreed to sell or lease the property, as well as pay for cleanup and security costs.
Baumgarten’s company blamed the TdA gang takeover for causing the Aspen Grove apartments to deteriorate into unlivable conditions. One investor reported that police were aware of the gang problem for nearly a year before the situation escalated. The investor sought help from local officials to remove the TdA members who had forcibly taken control of the property. The landlord also requested to hire off-duty police officers for security, but the Aurora Police Department declined, citing staffing limitations. Rep. Greg Lopez introduced a bill to combat migrant gangs and urged the Biden administration to crack down on illegal immigrants involved with gangs in the U.S.
The bill, if passed, would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary to issue detainers for migrants known to be affiliated with a gang. House Republicans have introduced several bills in response to reports of crime by illegal immigrants across the U.S. Lopez called on DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to direct ICE to apprehend, detain, and deport members of TdA and other foreign criminal gangs in Colorado, particularly in Denver suburbs like Aurora. Federal officials believe TdA is operating in the metro Denver area, but local politicians claim that concerns about Venezuelan gang members taking over apartment buildings have been overblown by the media.
There have been multiple high-profile incidents involving illegal immigrants accused of killings in the U.S. this year, including incidents related to TdA members. Despite reports of gang activity in Aurora, law enforcement officials deny that there has been a gang takeover. Interim Aurora Police Chief Heather Morris stated in a Facebook video that they are working to gather information from residents to better understand the situation on the ground. The dispute highlights the challenges faced by law enforcement in addressing gang activity and illegal immigration in communities across the U.S.
In response to the Aurora gang takeover, officials in Colorado dropped charges against the landlord of the apartment complex involved in the incident. The agreement between the city and Nome Partners outlined conditions for dropping the charges, including the waiver of a speedy trial and the sale or lease of the property. The landlord’s company attributed the deterioration of the apartments to the TdA gang takeover, prompting investors to seek help from local officials to address the situation. Rep. Greg Lopez introduced a bill to combat migrant gangs and urged the Biden administration to take action against illegal immigrants involved with gangs in the U.S.
Federal officials believe that TdA is operating in the metro Denver area, but local politicians claim that concerns about Venezuelan gang members taking over apartment buildings have been exaggerated by the media. Multiple bills have been introduced by House Republicans in response to reports of crime by illegal immigrants across the U.S. Lopez called on DHS to aggressively apprehend, detain, and deport members of TdA and other foreign criminal gangs in Colorado. Despite denials from Aurora law enforcement about a gang takeover, the community continues to grapple with the challenges posed by gang activity and illegal immigration.
