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Is a Venezuelan gang growing in the US? Colorado feels the threat of Tren de Aragua.

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Suspected Venezuelan gang activity in the Denver metro area is stirring public concern in Colorado and across the United States – amplifying election-year questions about the impact of unauthorized immigration that reach far beyond the U.S. southern border.

In recent days, local and federal officials here have increasingly gone on record about what they say is presence of the gang, called Tren de Aragua. Meanwhile, current criminal court cases in Denver involve a man who’s been, reportedly, linked to the gang by federal sources. And in the neighboring city of Aurora, a resident’s viral video shows armed individuals in an apartment building before a fatal shooting, which authorities are investigating.

The video footage has heightened allegations of a gang “takeover” of certain apartment buildings, which former President Donald Trump has also begun to claim.

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When dealing with gangs, local officials are tasked with maintaining public safety without fearmongering. In Colorado, that ethos is being tested by the reputed presence of a Venezuelan gang.

As local officials offer conflicting narratives about the gang’s level of activity, police and politicians here are boosting efforts to address security concerns. Immigrant advocates are also denouncing claims of widespread criminal activity​, as rumors outpace ongoing investigations. Low-income residents, including other immigrants, may be experiencing the harshest consequences – not just at the hands of criminals, but also in headlines that have cast doubt on whole neighborhoods and nationalities.

It’s “really rare” for a gang to receive this level of recognition from officials, says David Pyrooz, a gang researcher at the University of Colorado Boulder. While agencies typically avoid giving a gang notoriety, he says, it seemed they had an “obligation because of the outcry” to offer some confirmation.

Sarah Matusek/The Christian Science Monitor

Cindy Romero examines a bullet hole in her car in the Denver metro area, Aug. 30, 2024. Ms. Romero says she and her husband left their Aurora apartment after criminal activity, including a shooting that damaged their car.

Is a Venezuelan gang gaining a foothold in Colorado? 

Cindy Romero wanted to move out of her Aurora apartment for months.

To her relief, Ms. Romero moved out last week, sharing what would become a viral video with Fox31. Through her doorbell camera, she caught an armed group of men wielding guns outside her door. 



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