Colorado city sees surge in Venezuelan gang violence amid migrant crisis

Denver’s policy of welcoming migrants is having unintended consequences in the neighboring city of Aurora, Colorado, according to a new report from the New York Post . It is now struggling with the arrival of a notorious Venezuelan prison gang, leading to a surge in violent crime.

Aurora, a city with a population of 390,000 located directly east of Denver, has become a hub for the Tren de Aragua gang, local law enforcement sources told the Post.

The group took over several apartment complexes and caused significant trouble in the community.

Since December 2022, Denver, often described as an immigration "sanctuary city," received more than 40,000 migrants from the southern border, making it a leader in migrant arrivals per capita.

The city took extensive measures to provide aid. City leaders cut back on emergency services to manage the costs, which have already exceeded $68 million.

In February 2024, the Aurora City Council passed a resolution declaring it would not offer resources or support to migrants from neighboring cities like Denver.

Despite this, Denver’s migrant policies have still resulted in a spillover into Aurora, bringing with them the dangers associated with Tren de Aragua.

Sources told the Post that one local gang leader, known as "Galleta," Spanish for "cookie," set up operations in Aurora, leading to a gang takeover of an apartment complex that became a hotspot for crime.

The Tren de Aragua is linked to a series of violent crimes across the U.S., including the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley earlier this year and the shooting of two NYPD officers in June.

In July, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned that Tren de Aragua leaders had given members a "green light" to shoot Denver police officers who interfere with their criminal activities.

In response to the escalating threat, the Aurora Police Department has joined forces with the Colorado State Patrol and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to form a task force aimed at combating the gang’s growing influence .

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