The Aurora Police Department recently released a statement revealing they have identified 10 members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
On Wednesday, APD posted a bulletin about these individuals and said the department was “investigating reports” that gangs were operating in the area.
One of the men, Larry Medina, was arrested by authorities on July 10 on a felony charge of “threatening to kill someone at Whispering Pines Condominiums.” One of the victims alleged that Medina had pointed a gun at her and threatened to kill her.
“We were also able to confirm that criminal activity, including TdA issues, had a significant impact on these properties.”
Jonadi Pacheco Chirinos was taken into custody earlier this year on suspicion of first-degree assault that allegedly occurred at the Fitzsimmons Place apartment complex in Aurora.
Jonati DeJesus Pacheco Chirinos was also arrested for his alleged involvement in a non-fatal shooting that occurred at the facility.
Yoendry Vilchez Medina Jose was arrested by the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office last month for his alleged involvement in an assault that occurred at Whispering Pines Condominiums in November.
Earlier this year, Juan Carlos Mejia Espana was also detained following a domestic dispute at the same apartment.
Eight of the 10 TDA gang members identified were arrested for “committing acts of violence against members of the immigrant community,” APD said.
The update from law enforcement officials comes as some politicians, including Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, say allegations that gangs have increased their presence in the area and taken over several apartments are false or exaggerated.
As reported by the Blaze News, Polis previously said the apartment takeover was the “fantasy” of Aurora City Councilman Daniel Jurinski, who has publicly voiced concerns about the TDA's impact on the area.
Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman and Jurinski released a joint statement. statement This week, the Mayor and ADP went into “full enforcement.”
“Long before concerns about TdA in Colorado garnered national attention, APD has arrested individuals suspected, but not necessarily confirmed, to be associated with TdA for a variety of criminal offenses. To date, APD has linked 10 individuals to TdA and has made eight arrests,” the joint statement read.
“Two of the eight individuals detained were involved in a shooting that occurred in July at one of the specific facilities in the city that had issues with TdA activity. With these arrests, we also have confirmation that criminal activity, including TdA issues, had a significant impact on these facilities,” he added.
They clarified that “the TDA has not 'taken over' the city,” but that its “presence in Aurora is limited to certain properties.”
In a statement Fox News DigitalA spokesman for Governor Polis said, “Aurora is a great, vibrant city home to more than 400,000 hardworking Coloradans and a great place to live, work and raise a family. The Governor hopes that its reputation has not been tarnished by past cynical comments made by some city officials.”
“Colorado has a zero tolerance policy for illegal activity. The Governor and his public safety team have been in close contact with the Mayor and City of Aurora on this matter for several weeks and are actively participating in the task force,” the spokesperson added.
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