Officials in one Colorado city insisted the «hysteria» surrounding concerns about Venezuelan gang members taking over apartment buildings was «overblown» by the media.
The Denver Post reported Wednesday about growing fears in the city of Aurora after surveillance footage showed armed members of the Tren de Aragua gang trying to break into an apartment complex. Though the footage went viral, Democratic city councilwomen Stephanie Hancock and Alison Coombs suggested the threat was exaggerated by the media.
«Those stories are really overblown. If you didn’t live here, you would swear we were being taken over by a gang and Aurora was under siege,» Hancock told The Denver Post. «That’s simply not true.»
«There’s this hysteria that we apparently have a gang problem, but what we have is a slumlord problem in the city of Aurora,» Coombs said.
Alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang have overtaken an apartment building in Aurora, Colorado, charging rent in exchange for protection. (Edward Romero)
AURORA POLICE REACT TO ALLEGED VENEZUELAN GANG PRESENCE AT APARTMENTS: ‘HAVE NOT TAKEN OVER’
The gang, with reportedly 5,000 members, has a motto of «real until death,» or «real hasta la muerte.»
Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky said in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital that «without a doubt that there is sex trafficking now going on» in relationship to TdA’s activities in the city.
«This is organized. They patrol the property with guns visibly, like they’re not trying to hide them. There’s no repercussion. These are ghosts,» said one resident who spoke with Fox News Digital on the condition of anonymity.
The Denver Post also reported that Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Denver police have criticized the national media for pushing what they considered to be a misleading story.
«Denver police spokesman Dough Schepman said many people on social media were conflating Denver and Aurora in a ‘misleading’ way. He said officers have no evidence that Tren de Aragua members are targeting Denver apartment complexes for ‘takeovers,’» the report read.
It continued, «Jon Ewing, a spokesman for Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, said the national attention was ‘fanning ugly rhetoric’ during an election year. The mayor’s office is concerned that immigrants who moved to Colorado to start a better life will be harmed. But the city is also working to stop the spread of Tren de Aragua.»
Some blamed building landlords more than gang members for the poor state of apartment complexes. (Council member Danielle Jurinsky)
Aurora city officials as well as some citizens called for more attention to be given to building landlords whom they blame for poor living conditions.
«The state law is clear when it comes to a property owner’s responsibility when it comes to addressing health hazards and code violations at the apartment buildings they own,» city spokesperson Michael Brannen said in a statement to The Denver Post. «We will continue to aggressively pursue a resolution in order to address the poor conditions impacting residents.»
«They say there are gangs and criminals, but the only criminal here is the owner,» resident Moises Didenot said.
Their comments contradicted comments Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman made to «America Reports» last week, suggesting some buildings have fallen under gang leadership.
«So there are several buildings actually under the same ownership, out of state ownership, that have fallen to these Venezuelan gangs. I’m trying to walk it back and do the investigation as to how there’s a concentration of Venezuelans in these three buildings,» said Coffman.
«Somebody put them there and somebody funded it, whether it’s federal government or not, we’re trying to find out who, these gangs apparently, or attracted to where there’s a concentration of Venezuelan migrants. And so they’ve, in fact, have kind of pushed out the property management through intimidation and then, collected the rents,» he added.
Former congressman and current Mayor of Aurora, Colorado Mike Coffman joined «America Reports» last week to update the nation on Venezuelan gangs in his city. (Larry French/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Aurora city council members and the Aurora Police Department for a comment but did not receive an immediate response.
Fox News’ Jasmine Baehr contributed to this report.
