Is Aurora being overrun by a gang of illegal immigrants?

Of course not.

The conservative and liberal mayors of Aurora and Denver have even come together to debunk the sensational reports of widespread gun violence.

There is also no grand conspiracy to cover up Tren de Aragua’s gang activities. Tren de Aragua is an international criminal organization led by Venezuelan nationals in South America. It is likely that this organization is behind the criminal organization of recently arrived Americans, who probably arrived illegally or through the asylum system.

The Denver Post and other mainstream news sources have covered the gang’s rise in America, but have also kept perspective on the gang’s size, threat and activities, unlike some who are using incidents in Aurora and Denver to stoke fears about other Venezuelans and asylum seekers. Others, like the owners of a crime-ridden apartment in Aurora, are using the gang as a scapegoat for the unsanitary, unsafe and unhealthy conditions in their apartments that the city condemned this month.

Aurora is an extremely diverse city of about 400,000 people. It has always had some gang activity – just like Denver, Commerce City, Arvada, Westminster, and Lakewood. The addition of the Tren de Aragua gang to the mix is ​​​​a dangerous complication, but no reason to panic, flee the city, or call 911 for no reason.

The videos of men armed with semi-automatic long rifles and pistols—in the hallway of an apartment building and during a violent armed burglary of a Denver jewelry store—are unnerving. But they would be unnerving regardless of the race, nationality, or immigrant status of the wielders.

We understand Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky’s frustration. It is completely unacceptable to have apartment complexes where residents are unsafe due to rampant gang activity. She is right to call attention to the problem, just as we have been doing for years with gangs in Aurora and youth violence in general.

Now is the time for elected officials and law enforcement to come together and tackle organized crime, which often targets the most vulnerable people in our communities, including small business owners, immigrants, and low-income families.

Last year, Aurora launched the Standing Against Violence Every Day, or SAVE, program in an effort to deter young people – ages 14 to 25 – from committing crimes, particularly violent acts. It’s estimated that 1% of Aurora’s population was involved in 34% of the city’s homicides during a 15-month period.

Four men have been arrested and charged with crimes related to the violent robbery of Joyeria El Ruby in Denver in June. At least one of the men is believed to be a member of Tren de Aragua and was captured in Texas, a sign that federal officials and local law enforcement are working hand-in-hand to shut down the gang.

Alethea Smock, regional spokeswoman for Homeland Security Investigations, told The Denver Post this month that the gang is an emerging threat in Denver.