Colorado city officials downplay concerns of Venezuelan gangs taking over apartment buildings: 'Exaggerated'

Officials in one Colorado city claimed that the "hysteria" surrounding concerns about Venezuelan gang members taking over apartment buildings was "exaggerated" by the media.

The Tren de Aragua gang attempted to break into an apartment complex in Aurora, as shown in surveillance footage that went viral. However, Democratic city councilwomen Stephanie Hancock and Alison Coombs argued that the threat was overstated by the media.

"Hancock told The Denver Post that the stories were exaggerated. If someone didn't live in the area, they would think that the city was being invaded by a gang and that Aurora was under attack, but that's not the case."

According to Coombs, the city of Aurora has a slumlord problem, not a gang issue, despite the widespread belief.

Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Denver police have criticized the national media for promoting a misleading story, as reported by The Denver Post.

Jon Ewing, a spokesman for Denver Mayor Mike Johnston, stated that the national attention was 'fueling hate speech' during an election year. The mayor's office is worried that immigrants who moved to Colorado to improve their lives will be negatively impacted. However, the city is also taking steps to prevent the spread of Tren de Aragua.

Some citizens and city officials in Aurora have urged greater focus on landlords, whom they accuse of contributing to substandard living conditions.

"City spokesperson Michael Brannen stated in a post to The Denver Post that the state law is clear regarding a property owner's responsibility to address health hazards and code violations in their apartment buildings. He added that the city will continue to pursue a resolution to address the poor conditions affecting residents."

Some buildings have fallen under gang leadership, according to Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman, but his comments were contradicted by the comments of others.

According to Coffman, several buildings under out-of-state ownership have been taken over by Venezuelan gangs. He is currently conducting an investigation into the concentration of Venezuelans in these three specific buildings.

The Aurora city council members and police department were contacted by Planet Chronicle Digital for a comment, but no immediate response was received.