Aurora, Colorado, Mayor Mike Coffman appeared on America Reports on Thursday after security camera footage showing armed Venezuelan gang members inside an apartment building went viral.
Coffman confirmed that at least two apartment buildings in the city have been taken over by Venezuelan gangs.
Video shows armed gang members breaking into Colorado apartment believed to be occupied by immigrants
The mayor also confirmed on air that “Cookie Monster,” the leader of the Tren de Aragua gang, had been “arrested.”
“This is organized criminal activity. Whether it's an epidemic or a war on drugs remains to be seen,” Coffman said.
The mayor's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment about Tren de Aragua's organized crime activities in the Aurora area.
Former Congressman and current Aurora, Colorado Mayor Mike Coffman appeared on America Report on Thursday to give the public an update on Venezuelan gangs in his city. (Larry French/Getty Images via SiriusXM)
“So there are actually several buildings with the same owners, owners outside the country, that have fallen into the hands of Venezuelan gangs, and I'm trying to follow up and investigate why there's a high concentration of Venezuelans in these three buildings,” Coffman said.
“Someone put it there, someone funded it, whether it was the federal government or not. We're trying to figure out who these gangs are, or if they're attracted to areas with high concentrations of Venezuelan migrants, and they're actually using intimidation to force out the property management company and then collecting the rent,” he added.
Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua gives members permission to attack police: officials
On Wednesday, a former apartment resident, speaking anonymously, confirmed to Fox News Digital that members of Tren de Aragua had been collecting rent from residents of at least one occupied apartment building.
Mayor Coffman argues that Aurora is a “victim” of federal policies and the sanctuary city policies of nearby Denver.
“[This is] “It's not our problem, it's not the federal government's problem or challenge. They have to solve it, not us, but somehow we got sucked into this,” Coffman said.
A group of alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang took over an apartment in Aurora, Colorado, and demanded rent in exchange for “protection.” (Edward Romero)
“I think we're victims of failed policies on the southern border because, as a Venezuelan, I think that Venezuela, according to law enforcement, has not cooperated with the United States in sharing criminal records. A third of the country has left the country,” Coffman said.
“We've had a flood of migrants coming across the border, many of them crossing the border illegally, being arrested, applying for political asylum, then being dumped into the country, into the city of Aurora, without adequate vetting. And quite frankly, we've done everything we can to keep them out of our city, because this is not our problem. This is a federal problem,” the mayor argued.
One resident said the apartment had been completely taken over by suspected gang members and the locks had been changed. (Councillor Daniel Jurinski)
An Aurora mother is going viral after posting a video in which she claims it's no longer safe to take her children to local public parks, given the presence of Venezuelan gangs.
“This is horrifying. I understand they are coming here in search of a better life, but at the same time, is this life going to be better if we bring here what was there before?” she asked.
The Aurora Police Department has not released any new statements since posting about the situation on social media via X on Wednesday, calling the situation “isolated.”
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Coffman served as a Republican in the Colorado House of Representatives for the 6th Congressional District from 2009 to 2019.
