Danielle Jurinsky, an Aurora City Council member, claims the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua has gained a stronghold in the city, leading to a surge in violent crime and sex trafficking. She alleges that the gang controls apartment complexes, terrorizes staff and residents, and is emboldened by the lack of cooperation between local authorities and federal immigration enforcement.
Aurora, Colorado, a suburb located nine miles east of Denver, is facing an unprecedented wave of criminal activity attributed to the notorious Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua, according to City Council Member Danielle Jurinsky. Jurinsky claims that the gang has established a strong foothold in the city, commandeering apartment complexes and driving up violent crime rates, including sex trafficking.
Aurora, Colorado: City Council Member Warns of 'Complete Gang Takeover'
"We currently have entire complexes under gang control — complexes where staff have been beaten up, they've been threatened, their families have been threatened [and] complexes where there are no staff left on the property," Jurinsky told Fox News Digital. "These complexes are being run by this Tren de Aragua gang."
Tren de Aragua is a highly organized and violent criminal organization originating from Venezuela. Its members are accused of a string of high-profile crimes across the United States, including the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley and the shooting of two NYPD officers during an arrest in June.
Aurora, Colorado: City Council Member Warns of 'Complete Gang Takeover'
According to Jurinsky, Tren de Aragua has been brokering apartments in Aurora, moving in Venezuelan families after intimidating or expelling previous tenants. She alleges that parts of the city are under the gang's control, and that the local media is downplaying the situation.
"I believe politics is being played with people's lives," Jurinsky said. "Nothing is being done to help the American citizens that are being trapped under this gang's control."
Aurora, Colorado: City Council Member Warns of 'Complete Gang Takeover'
Calls for emergency services have surged in Aurora, particularly amid a shortage of police officers.
"The number of emails coming in to me for help from residents and business owners, the volume is much higher," Jurinsky said. "The allegations being made [about gang activity] are types of crime that I've not heard of on a regular basis in our city."
Aurora, Colorado: City Council Member Warns of 'Complete Gang Takeover'
Tren de Aragua's leaders have authorized its members nationwide to target law enforcement officers who interfere with their criminal activities.
"They're armed. They're violent. They're transnational. And they have a green light to kill police officers in this country," Joe Gamaldi, national vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police, told Fox News Digital.
Aurora, Colorado: City Council Member Warns of 'Complete Gang Takeover'
Jhonardy Jose Pacheco-Chirino, a Tren de Aragua leader known as "Galleta," was arrested in Aurora after brutally beating a man at an apartment complex controlled by the gang. He was later released, and arrested again in connection with a shooting at the same complex.
Denver, with a population of approximately 710,000, has become a national focal point for migrant arrivals, with over 40,000 individuals crossing the southern border since 2022. The city has spent an estimated $68 million providing aid to migrants, which has led to cuts in emergency services.
In contrast, Aurora has passed a resolution declaring itself a non-sanctuary city and refusing to provide any support to migrants.
"We will not be aiding into this migrant crisis," Jurinsky stated.
Douglas County Commissioner Abe Laydon expressed concern over the potential impact of Denver's migrant influx, particularly in light of sanctuary city policies and lack of coordination with federal immigration enforcement.
"It's impossible that wouldn't have a huge impact on resources in the Denver metro area – and it did," Laydon said.
Douglas County and five other Colorado counties have filed a lawsuit against the state, challenging a law that prohibits local governments from communicating with federal immigration authorities.
Despite the inability to cooperate with ICE, an ICE detention center is located within Aurora.
"Every week, they're just opening the back door and just letting hundreds of them go," Jurinsky said.
Former FBI official Chris Swecker lamented the rise of transnational criminal gangs in the United States, comparing it to the Mariel Boatlift of Cubans in 1980 and the rise of MS-13. He suggested increased border security and intelligence sharing as potential solutions.
"At this point, federal agencies should get involved," Swecker said. "The bureau has to get involved with ATF and DEA, share their intelligence and approach this as an international crime problem."
