Aurora Police authorities rejected that an armed gang has taken an immigrant complex in the Colorado city, saying that footage showing armed people walking around the area does not tell the full story.
Police Department Interim Chief Heather Morris said officers have been in the area to get the full picture from residents, and they learned that "there is definitely a different picture" there.
The footage in question surfaced last week. It showed 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
There was speculation about the people being part of the Venezuelan-born Tren de Aragua gang, especially after local 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. Department of Homeland Security officials also told NewsNation the people were Tren de Aragua members.
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.
Speaking to press, interim police chief Morris said that she wasn't rejecting the notion that there are gang members in the area, "but what we're learning out here is that gang members have not taken over this complex." She mentioned that authorities asked residents specific and direct questions about gang activity in the area and made sure that "people aren't paying rent to gang leaders or gang members."
"We're standing out here, and I can tell you that gang members have not taken over this complex," Morris said.
However, authorities Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman said on his end that measures are being taken to address gang presence in the area, even if the apartment complex wasn't properly taken over. He said an emergency court order has been requested to clear apartment buildings where activity has been reported, declaring them a criminal nuisance.
"I strongly believe the best course of action is to shut these (buildings) down and make sure this never happens again," he said in a social media publication.
At a general level, Aurora authorities launched a task force formed by different agencies, saying they are "aware that components of Tren de Aragua are operating in Aurora." Mayor 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.
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