Members of law enforcement are outraged after Colorado's Democratic governor, Jared Polis, called reports of immigrant gang violence at an Aurora apartment complex a “false report.”
Arapahoe County, Colorado District Attorney John Kellner spoke on Fox News' “America's Newsroom” on Friday about his police response to a group of criminal immigrants storming an apartment building, an incident that was caught on camera.
“I can assure you that we are aggressively prosecuting every case that comes to us,” Kellner told Fox News. “We have a multi-agency task force now that is investigating these crimes, and when we see gangs trying to infiltrate or gain a foothold in our communities, we are going to aggressively prosecute them.”
Colorado city council member responds to governor's office's dismissal of armed gang takeover as 'imaginary'
Alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang took over an apartment in Aurora, Colorado, and demanded rent in exchange for “protection.” (Edward Romero)
Kellner said police and law enforcement are focused on rooting out gangs before the problem gets worse, and there are multiple cases ongoing involving alleged burglaries, robberies and thefts.
A recent viral video shows several armed men in an apartment in Aurora, Colorado, that some say is occupied by members of the notorious Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua.
“I've heard some criticism, like, 'This is fantasy,'” Kellner continued. “And I can say to the residents of this apartment building, to the residents of Aura, this is not fantasy.”
Colorado mayor calls viral video of armed Venezuelan gang infiltrating apartment complex a 'policy failure'
“This is an illustration of how cities across the country, very far from the border, are dealing with the effects of failed border policies.”
The district attorney pointed to past efforts to combat members of the Mexican gang MS-13, who had sought to establish roots in the city.
One resident said the apartment was occupied by suspected gang members. (Councillor Daniel Jurinski)
“We've indicted over a dozen members of that gang, charged them with multiple murders, multiple shootings, violent crimes, some of whom will be spending the next few decades in prison reflecting on and regretting their life choices,” Kellner said. “And some of them are spending the rest of their lives in Colorado prisons.”
Governor Polis has largely denied claims that gangs are causing significant problems in Aurora, with a spokesman calling such concerns “false alarm.”
Video shows armed gang members breaking into Colorado apartment believed to be occupied by immigrants
Shelby Wieman, a spokeswoman for the governor's office, previously told Fox News Digital:[Gov. Polis] I hope responsible city council members will stop trashing their city when they should be keeping it safe.
“We know that violent crime in Aurora decreased from 2022 to 2023, and we are confident the data will show a further decrease in 2024. Additionally, recent misinformation campaigns have the potential to jeopardize real criminal investigations and create a worsening environment for small businesses in Aurora,” Wieman said.
Colorado Governor Jared Polis speaks at a press conference at the National Governors Association's 2024 Summer Conference in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
“I strongly disagree with the governor's comments on this matter. This is not a 'false report,'” Kellner told Fox News. “There is currently an ongoing investigation into a large-scale shootout outside one of these apartment complexes that left one person dead. This is not a false report. This is a real issue.”
According to a New York Post report, more than 40,000 immigrants Denver Area From December 2022 onwards.
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“This is a reality, but we need to get a handle on it so the reputation of our entire city of over 400,000 residents is not negatively affected by what happened in a few isolated apartment buildings owned by an out-of-state slum landlord,” Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman said in an earlier statement to Fox News Digital.
Fox News' Jasmine Baer contributed to this report.
