City councilwoman reveals Venezuelan gang problem was well-known in Aurora, CO ahead of media attention

Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky has revealed that the Colorado city knew of the Venezuelan gang problem plaguing apartment complexes. The gang, Tren de Aragua (TdA), took over multiple apartment complexes and made headlines over the summer when video of suspected gang members wandering through housing units armed with rifles went viral.

Jurinsky posted an internal city email dated November 16, 2023, in which Aurora police discussed how an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent told them that TdA "decided to make Denver their headquarters due to sanctuary policies and location." A gang unit officer wrote to Chris Poppe, the police commander of District 3 of Aurora, Colorado about a "TdA bulletin" that was going to be sent out to the entire Aurora Police Department.

Poppe wrote back in the email, "Is there any Aurora-centric info that could be included in the bulletin? Known addresses, or hangouts, or specifics cops should be aware of?"

Jurinsky also posted emails from June showing that officers were advised to take armored vehicles or multiple police officers to any emergency calls coming from Whispering Pines, one of the complexes taken over by TdA in Aurora. Suspects that were at the complex allegedly told officers that they had more than 200 people working for the gang in the area.

The emails reveal that TdA was a known issue to Aurora officials far before headlines about the Venezuelan gang taking over complexes made national news in the summertime. This is in contrast with multiple statements from police as well as city officials when the news got out in August about the gangs.

Aurora Police Department Interim Chief Heather Morris told reporters in August amid the wave of press said, “I’m not saying that there’s not gang members that don’t live in this community. But what we’re learning out here is that gang members have not taken over this complex.” Since then, TdA has been implicated in taking over a hotel in El Paso, as well as four complexes in San Antonio, Texas.