American Citizens ‘Trapped’ By Violent Migrant Gang In Aurora, Colorado

Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky has shined light on a frightening situation unfolding in Aurora, Colorado, by leaking footage of a Venezuelan migrant prison gang storming The Edge at Lowry, an apartment complex in the Denver metro city. Jurinsky announced that heavily armed men have seized control of the buildings, which are full of American citizens, carrying out violent robberies, shootings and assaults, causing a terrifying ordeal for residents who are now trapped with their families under horrifying conditions. She describes trash littered throughout the buildings, broken windows, vandalism and lots of guns. According to Jurinsky, the gang has attacked management, causing them to flee in fear, and is now “actively patrolling” the complexes unchallenged. The apartment investor told The New York Post they’ve “lost control” of several properties with the gang taking over multiple units.

“They were first hanging out around the property and creating a bad element that’s constantly there. And then they started taking over, quite a few months ago, they started taking over vacant units,” they told the Post.  

Speaking with TMZ Thursday about the now-viral video, Jurinsky said she released the footage in response to politicians she felt were not moving fast enough to stop the danger and protect the lives of residents, instead playing politics out of fear of stirring the pot and losing reelection, as many of the gang members are undocumented migrants. She also claims the video is not exactly new, stating that authorities have been aware of the situation for some time. According to a local news station, the footage was captured earlier in August shortly before a shootout at the complex severely injured one person and damaged multiple cars.

Aurora Police and the DEA have confirmed that Tren de Aragua, the prison gang represented by these terrorists, is operating in the area. The gang, which hails from Venezuela’s Aragua region, has been sending its members across the U.S.-Mexico border for years, expanding recruitment efforts within the U.S. as well among migrant communities in New York, Denver, and Chicago. Homeland Security sources have confirmed that Tren de Aragua has been linked to multiple high-profile crimes in sanctuary states, including the shooting of two NYPD officers in June and the murder of Georgia nursing student, Laken Riley. A Homeland Security memo warned that Tren de Aragua’s leadership recently gave a “green light” for members to shoot and attack law enforcement officers across the U.S, while the gang is also said to be smuggling guns into local migrant shelters. Statements issued Thursday suggest the Aurora Police Department has set up a joint task force to deal with Tren de Aragua. 

The New York Post recently identified the gang’s “shot-caller” in the Colorado region, as Jhonardy Jose Pacheco-Chirino, known as “Galleta,” meaning “Cookie” in Spanish. Pacheco-Chirino was arrested but set free on bail after he and fellow gang members brutally beat a man at an apartment complex allegedly run by the terror organization. He was arrested once again in Aurora in July for a shooting that took place at the same complex, leaving two men wounded.

Jean Torres-Roman, 21, another Tren de Aragua gang member, was involved in a violent robbery caught on camera on June 25 in a Denver jewelry store. Torres-Roman was released from custody in Chicago only a month before the burglary, after getting caught attempting to stash a stolen gun. He fled from Colorado to El Paso, Texas, where he was caught at a local motel.

Tren de Aragua gang member, Jean Torres-Roman, 21, arrested in El Paso, Texas by Homeland Security Agents.

Cindy and Edward Romero expressed that they had been trying to move out of the complex into safer living conditions, but could not get the help they needed. “We couldn’t get any help. We tried reaching out to resources, but they told us since it was not a condemned building, we would have to wait ’til that was the issue, but we didn’t want to wait for that,” Edward Romero told the local news. In a stunningly heroic turn of events, Jurinsky herself with the help of several police officers provided that help, rescuing the family from the complex on Wednesday amidst gang infighting over the soon-to-be unoccupied space, even witnessing the gang move things into the apartment as it was being vacated.

According to Cindy Romero, “It’s been a nightmare and I can’t wait to get out of here,” The couple recounted their experience, explaining that the violence began when a large number of migrants moved into the building. Cindy described using five locks on the apartment door, arranged from top to bottom combined with a door jammer home security bar. “Every day when we come home, we have to do this every time we go outside to take out the garbage,” continuing, “Every time we go to bed at night. We have to keep like this so that nobody can kick in the door.” The family’s car was one of the vehicles riddled with bullets after the shootout.

Councilwoman Jurinsky has been outspoken regarding Tren de Aragua, and a leading voice against incentives offered to migrants in Aurora, as the influx of Venezuelan gang members overruns the suburb populated by 390,000 residents.

“The city nonprofits have lined up to help the migrants that have come here but nobody is helping the Americans that are trapped in these apartment complexes,” Jurinsky reported to the local news. “This isn’t just Americans. Other Venezuelans are being extorted by this gang.”

Jurinsky has become fed up with state leaders who have allowed sanctuary policies to roll out a proverbial welcome mat to the Venezuelan prison gang, which has unleashed violent crime and terror into her community. Denver has received the largest number of migrants per capita in the nation, attracting more than 40,000 arrivals since December 2022 due to these policies. Tren de Aragua came with them, ultimately spilling out of the Sanctuary City and into suburban Aurora, situated directly east of the Mile High City.

In recent months, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed legislation into effect supporting migrant efforts in the state, making it easier for them to obtain driver’s licenses, attend schools and acquire taxpayer-funded resources. This is in light of his previous 2023 decision to start busing them to New York City when the influx of migrants became too much for the state to handle. That program has since been discontinued.

In a shocking dismissal by Governor Polis, his office referred to the anger over Tren de Aragua’s taking over of apartment buildings in the Denver suburb of Aurora as “largely a feature of Danielle Jurinsky’s imagination,” despite viral video footage, police reports and the city’s own mayor confirming that the atrocity is real and taking place at this very moment. The Democratic Governer’s spokesperson, Shelby Wieman, had this to say to the Post, “The Governor has already let the Mayor know that the State is ready to support the local police department with assistance from state troopers and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation if needed,” adding that “it’s illegal to take over buildings in Colorado” and that the governor’s office is “ready to assist” authorities if Jurinsky has “knowledge” of such activity.

In further deflection, Wieman states, “He really hopes that the city council members in charge stop trashing their own city when they are supposed to keep it safe. We know violent crime in Aurora went down between 2022-2023, fully expect the data will show further declines for 2024 and the recent misinformation campaign threatens actual criminal investigations and could hurt the climate for small businesses in Aurora.”

Despite the governor’s dismissal of the developing situation and continued embrace of Colorado’s sanctuary policies, the evidence is clear, as Fox Denver aired the surveillance video released by Jurinsky on Wednesday night, showing the armed gang, later confirmed by police as suspected members of Tren de Aragua, strolling armed through the overrun apartment complex. Additionally, Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, spoke to Fox News on Thursday stating, “there are several buildings” that have “fallen to these Venezuelan gangs” in his city. Coffman says he believes the buildings being used as taxpayer-funded migrant housing provided a foothold for the gangs to take over.

The New York Post asked the governor’s office if it intends to backtrack its statement given the overwhelming evidence of Tren de Aragua’s takeover. There was no response as of Thursday evening.

Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky

Councilwoman Jurinsky had a strong message for Governor Polis and Denver Mayor Michael Christopher Johnston.

“To our governor and to the mayor of Denver, I refuse to be silenced. I refuse to play the game of politics with you regarding this migrant crisis. And I will continue to speak up and speak out and help as many people as I can,” Jurinsky told The Post. The councilwoman also pointed the finger at the Biden-Harris administration, saying the people of Aurora are “suffering” at their “hands.”