() Police in Aurora, Colorado, are on high alert as they look into another attack carried out by members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
In 2024, gang members were seen with guns drawn at a now-closed apartment complex in the area, and now, a new video has surfaced that police say is eerily similar to the same one that went viral last fall.
This all comes after President Trump, on his campaign trail, acknowledged that the Tren de Aragua was terrorizing many people in the state, which drew some heat from critics. However, Steve Sundberg, Aurora city council member, says that the response to this situation at both national and local levels has helped.
“I believe leadership has made the difference,” he said. “We have a police chief now who wants to fight crime, that wants to call this problem for what it is rather than denying it. Even though we have a police force that is short of staff, he’s making no excuses. He wants to go after the problem.”
Police said people living in the complex had moved from Venezuela just two days before the latest attack. Sundberg feels, though, that the gang isn’t a worldwide problem but a more isolated situation.
“There seems to be a modus operandi of these people that they victimize their own,” he said. “They very quickly begin to extort folks of rent and other means of taxation. It’s good that this video is getting out there. It’s the reality of certain bad actors.”
As of last year, the gang has reportedly established a presence in 16 states, including Colorado. It started in a prison in the Venezuelan state of Aragua nearly a decade ago and has since expanded into what the Justice Department calls a “transnational criminal organization.”
Sundberg feels that some people might still be in denial about the gang, despite it being readily visible, which is why he has no problem with the federal government’s involvement.
“The evidence is right in front of them of this terroristic activity,” added Sundberg. “So, we welcome federal help. We welcome state help. We have legislators in this state that are opposing ICE. And we are a type of sanctuary state. That is not something I agree with.”
