Tren de Aragua members with ties to Colorado apartment takeovers arrested, police say



The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office confirmed Tuesday that four suspected transnational gang members were arrested in connection with Tren de Aragua's alleged takeover of an Aurora, Colorado, apartment complex.

Authorities told KDVR that six people were arrested this week at the Ivy Crossing Apartments. They are reportedly facing "a variety of charges" related to drugs and vehicle theft. Four of the detained individuals are suspected members of the violent Venezuelan gang.

'We developed a plan.'

Arapahoe County Sheriff Tyler Brown told KDVR, "We're looking for any violation that we can stop and make contact with somebody and addressing the issues that they might have."

Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security joined forces with the sheriff's office to conduct proactive patrol around the apartment complex on August 21. As a result, the agencies seized one stolen vehicle, ketamine, and 750 counterfeit pills.

"There had been some conversation that there were some things going on in our jurisdiction and we developed a plan," Brown told the news outlet.

It is currently unclear how the four individuals are connected to Tren de Aragua.

Last week, KDVR shared a video of five men armed with guns storming through Edge at Lowry, another apartment complex in Aurora. A separate video captured a man using a hammer to break a deadbolt lock on an apartment door in the same complex.

Former residents Cindy and Edward Romero warned that the area had turned into a hotspot for TDA gang activity after illegal immigrants started to move into the complex. They called living at the apartment "a nightmare," noting that their vehicle was riddled with bullet holes due to a shootout that occurred last month.

Along with locals, Aurora City Council member Danielle Jurinsky has sounded the alarm about the increased gang presence in the area, blaming the uptick in criminal activity on neighboring Denver's sanctuary policies that have prompted illegal aliens to spill over into Aurora.

"In the entire Denver metro area, it has been like pulling teeth to get anyone, the media, other elected officials, to get anyone to acknowledge the presence of this trend and to acknowledge that there is even a problem," Jurinsky recently told Fox News Digital.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, has claimed that the TDA invasion is largely a figment of Jurinksy's "imagination," Blaze News previously reported.

"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," a spokesperson for the governor recently told the New York Post. "But according to police intelligence, this purported invasion is largely a feature of Danielle Jurinsky's imagination."

Local law enforcement has contended that TDA's influence in the area is "isolated," despite reports that the gang has managed to take over several apartment complexes.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Venezuelan street gang Tren de Aragua given 'green light' to shoot police officers: Reports



The violent Venezuelan street gang Tren de Aragua has given its members a "green light" to attack and shoot police officers, according to multiple reports.

The gang reportedly has notified members that it's open season on law enforcement officers in the United States, the New York Post reported, citing a government memo the paper said it obtained.

'Today’s designation of Tren de Aragua as a significant Transnational Criminal Organization underscores the escalating threat it poses to American communities.'

The alleged memo from the Homeland Security Investigations office in Chicago advises staffers to be “vigilant” as they come across gang members or affiliates of the gang.

“Credible human sources from Colorado provided information on TdA [Tren de Aragua] giving a ‘green light’ to fire on or attack law enforcement,” read the alleged memo.

The memo reportedly added, “As you may know, we have a TdA presence here in Chicago, so please be vigilant as you encounter TdA members or affiliates during your investigative and operational activities."

The Post added that the intel from Colorado came through the Albuquerque Police Department in New Mexico.

The alert regarding the dangerous Tren de Aragua directive also was noted in a bulletin from the Colorado Information Analysis Center, Fox News reported. The cable network added that Albuquerque police had received the concerning information from "federal partners."

"The Albuquerque New Mexico Police Department (APD) has released this officer safety bulletin to notify law enforcement of information regarding the Tren De Aragua criminal organization and reports that TDA members in Denver have been given a 'green light' to fire on or attack law enforcement," the alleged bulletin read.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned Tren de Aragua for "engaging in diverse criminal activities, such as human smuggling and trafficking, gender-based violence, money laundering, and illicit drug trafficking."

Brian Nelson, under secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, stated on July 11 that “today’s designation of Tren de Aragua as a significant Transnational Criminal Organization underscores the escalating threat it poses to American communities.”

Nelson vowed to "deploy all tools and authorities against organizations like Tren de Aragua that prey on vulnerable populations to generate revenue, engage in a range of criminal activities across borders, and abuse the U.S. financial system."

On the same day, the U.S. State Department offered up to a $12 million reward for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions of the gang’s leaders.

Specifically the State Department offered rewards ranging from $3 million to $5 million for information leading to the arrests and/or convictions of Tren de Aragua leaders Héctor Rusthenford Guerrero, also known as ”Niño Guerrero,” Yohan Jose Romero, a.k.a. “Johan Petrica,” and Giovanny San Vicente, a.k.a. “Giovanny,” “Viejo Viejo,” and “El Viejo.”

Members of Tren de Aragua have infiltrated the U.S. by crossing the southern border illegally and asking for asylum.

As Blaze News previously reported, two illegal immigrants tied to Tren de Aragua were accused of attacking two NYPD officers in January.

A report released last month found that more than 100 criminal investigations in the U.S. are tied to Tren de Aragua.

Jose Ibarra, the illegal immigrant accused of murdering Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, is reportedly a member of Tren de Aragua.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!