Aurora Councilmember Danielle Jurinsky, right, on a FoxNews segment Aug. 28. Jurinsky told FoxNews viewers parts of Aurora are overrun with Venezuelan gang members. Police say any gang activity is “isolated.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Click here for an update to this story

AURORA | Aurora Council Member Danielle Jurinsky’s repeated, undocumented claims that a violent Venezuelan gang is overrunning Aurora made national news and has triggered a flood of social media chatter among anti-immigrant sympathizers and activists.

While police did not deny the existence of people claiming to be affiliated with foreign gang members, police said any criminal activity identified remains “isolated.”

Jurinsky asserted on a Fox News segment Wednesday that the members of the Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua, also known as TdA, have caused “a complete gang takeover in parts of our city.” 

 “It’s unreal. It’s unreal,” Jurinsky said in her on-air interview. “Residents tell me they feel they are living in a third world country at this point.”

About the alleged TdA involvement, she said, “They are going block by block, they are going apartment complex by apartment complex, they are taking it over, and I think the city doesn’t know how to handle it.”

Aurora city government attempted to temper some of Jurinsky’s assertions and alarm late Wednesday.

 “We are aware that components of TdA are operating in Aurora. APD has been increasingly collecting evidence to show the gang is connected to crimes in the area,” city spokesperson Ryan Luby said in a statement. declining to make any  “conclusory statements about specific incidents or provide details about law enforcement strategy and operations.”

He noted that Aurora Police, working with the federal Drug Enforcement Administration,  “believe reports of TdA influence in Aurora are isolated.”

Addressing Jurinsky’s claims of gang “takeovers,” Luby told the Sentinel late Wednesday that  “individual council members are able to share their thoughts on any issue but do not speak for the city as a whole.”

Denver Police provided a similar statement earlier in the day. 

They, too, said officers were unaware of any Denver apartment buildings being commandeered by TdA gang members.

“There are reasons to believe that members of this gang are tied to crimes in the area,” police said in the statement. “However, DPD is not aware of any apartment buildings being ‘taken over’ by this gang in Denver.”

With the influx of some 40,000 Venezuelan migrants into metro Denver in the last two years have come claims about gang activity by certain Aurora residents and officials.

Some, for example, allegedly exaggerated the level of violence and lawlessness at a meetup of 3,000 to 4,000 migrants at an Aurora shopping center on July 28. That was Election Day in Venezuela when opposition candidate Edmundo González was expected to trounce incumbent strongman Nicolás Maduro. Maduro later declared himself the winner of another six-year term.

Some city lawmakers and others attributed — without evidence — the city’s move to shut down Aspen Grove, a decaying apartment complex in north Aurora earlier this month to the presence of TdA gang members.

 The allegations were disputed at the time by city staffers who countered that the complex was shuttered because of years of documented code violations. 

At least three council members have said they do not believe their own city staffers’ reasons for forcing tenants, many of whom are newcomers from Venezuela, out of the 98-unit building. 

“None of us buy that story, that this is based on a code enforcement violation,” Jurinsky said during an Aug. 8 city council public safety committee meeting, referring to herself and council members Stepahnie Hancock and Steve Sundberg. “The three of us believe there is a huge gang problem.”

Jurinsky said that despite not having proof of claims by the building’s owner that gang members had been squatting in the building, “our opinions are not up for debate.

Aurora police have repeatedly pushed back against the claims of rogue gangs. 

“I don’t think Venezuelan gangs are a big safety concern in the city of Aurora,” Chris Juul, the acting deputy police chief told the Sentinel earlier this month.

87 replies on “Aurora city lawmaker and police at odds over level of Venezuelan gang activity”

  1. Bologna, I live close by and I have no idea what FOX is talking about. Usual crime, yes, gangs and such, murican or not, NO

    1. You must be living in a bubble. Videos are out on Instagram showing them forcefully evicting residents. They are well armed.

      1. No, there are no videos on Instagram of people being forcefully evicted that aren’t AI generated. Stop pushing disinformation.

      2. This is a paid government troll for sure…and dummies will believe nothing is wrong until the criminals bust through their own front doors.

        Then of course they’ll cry and beg for their “safe space”.

        1. It’s funny how I posted this on Facebook today and not a single friend of mine saw it. They’re making sure people think it’s not happening because of course the media will let you see what they want you to see.

  2. I see film footage of armed young men knocking down a door allegedly in the apartment complex. Your reporter writes that the city councilman’s allegations of gang violence are “undocumented”, obviously undercutting the allegations.. The film looks like documentation.

    1. One video of four gunman is not evidence that the city is “over run.” As used, its clear evidence of hyperbolic propaganda intended to convince you that the problem is much larger than it is — and all for purely political purposes.

      I say this as the rabidly pragmatic Independent in the room. Both R and D together share full responsibility for this mess and all anyone can do is point fingers and call names. Grow up people!

      1. “As used, its clear evidence of hyperbolic propaganda intended to convince you that the problem is much larger than it is — and all for purely political purposes.”

        LOL, just like clockwork.

        Stage 1) “This isn’t happening”
        Stage 2) “Ok, it’s happening, but it’s not as bad as it seems.” <—We are here
        Stage 3) "Yes, it's' happening, and that's a good thing."

      2. Typical Lefty. Deny deny deny. And then when it’s too late, blame the other guy.
        I see four gunmen every day at the park, in the stores, walking kids to school.
        You know what an independent is don’t you? Someone who can’t make up their mind.

  3. Thank you, Council Member Jurinsky, for tarnishing our city on national news. Would you be so kind as to share how you developed your opinion? We realize how important your opinions are to you and how much you enjoy the spotlight. Trashing the City on national news must have felt way better than calling a police chief “trash” on local radio. Tell your friends, Marjorie Taylor Green and Lauren Boebert, that we said, “Hello.” Let us know when the space lasers will be starting fires around town. Thank you, please go away.

    1. If you have any knowledge of the streets in Aurora, then you would know there is a Latin gang problem now. Gave some empathy for those that are living with these thugs.

      1. LOL there is no Latin gang problem dork – the problem is MAGA attacking Capitol Police and dead soldiers at Arlington National

        2. What a low IQ Democrat sheep – hope one of them rapes you mother and puts a bullet in your head scum

          2. What a sicko you are! Police dispute the story. So these Venezuelan gangs are taking over apartment complexes and police do nothing?? Ask Trump why they killed the most conservative border bill in a very long time. It’s called political gain!

          3. ” the most conservative border bill in a very long time”

            LOL, stop, only your side calls it that because it didn’t codify the dumb “open borders” kumbaya you support.

            Giving your side half of what you want now and the other half later has been an absolute disaster for this country.

    3. Unfortunately for you, cameras do not lie. We’ve seen the gang members and the mountains of trash all over the news for the past couple of weeks. Believe me, it’s not your Council Member trashing your once lovely city. It’s the trash that has filtered in.

    4. This comment is not aging well. News Nation just showed video of the armed men taking over apartement buildings from inside security footage the Mayor just did an intervew stating this is isolated to a few apartment buildings, is not the entire city and these are indeed Venezuelan gang members who came over with Venezuelen immigrants, and that the federal goverment with the help of nonprofits, circumvented local government to house these people in these complexes that they are now taking over. I also hate MGT and Boebert, but they literally have nothing to do with this news and these FACTS. Thank you. Please go away.

      1. NewsNation? ROFLMAO – might as well get your news from a bathroom stall wall where your phone number is inscribed you s…t

    5. So we’re still at the “This isn’t happening” stage of the leftist dialectic here?

  5. Wow I almost got tricked into believing a Fox News scam – ok let’s get back to the utter disrespect the Trump team showed at Arlington National Cemetery to add to his bible stunt and attack on Capitol Police January 6th

    1. Your out of your ever loving mind . where do you
      Comme up whether thos garbage. When the time comes..your on your own whack job!

    2. Get off the Trump train. He has nothing to do with the situation in Aurora, Colorado and were you at the Arlington cemetery no everything can’t be Trump’s fault what an idiot comment.

      1. There is no “situation” in Aurora unfortunately for MAGA – the only situation is MAGA has a wannabe dictator attacking Capitol Police on January 6th and just the other day crapping on the graves at Arlington National Cemetery

          2. The same ones that couldn’t eradicate a bunch of Pashtun goat herders, you waste of carbon molecules?

            Your side couldn’t fly a paper airplane, much less a B-1, and your side doesn’t even like “America,” considering it wants to “disrupt, dismantle, and abolish it.”

      2. I read all these idiotic statements use people are like a horse with blinders on , nip it in the bud now or else you all will pay , an then it will be to late

  7. Wake up and smell the joyful roses, Venezuelan street hands are here and if the incidences are “isolated” they won’t be for long. Everyone needs to open their aperture a little and stop letting your news station tell you what to think. Everyone is busy, but be skeptical, a little research with good sources will lead you closer to the truth. Remember, there are three sides to every story; what party A said, what party B said and what actually happened.

  8. Now that she got a taste of the Drama and attention she can get by making up nonsense, Ms. Jurinsky is about to go full Boehbert on us and vilify Aurora in order to amplify the attention.

  9. I live close by and it is a ghetto and is getting worse everyday. Crime is peaking at levels never before seen in Denver. I am becoming more and more scared livibg here and it is sad to see what is happening.

  11. Yes, Aurora has crime problems. As noted above, we have gang problems too. This is nothing new. To say Venezuelan gangs have overrun the city is way over exaggerated. This is nothing new from hard-core MAGA Trumpians. They’ll use all the scare tactics in the book to turn people against each other.

    Let’s let our new Police Chief do his job and get crime under control.

    1. He’s not doing his job. MAGA isn’t terrorizing Aurora citizens and to suggest that when reporting on armed gangs are freely roaming the streets is a ‘scare tactic’ is a tactic in itself. Actual American citizens are being run out of their homes and you’re throwing a trumper tantrum. Pathetic.

      1. No MAGA just attacked and terrorized the capital of the United States. Didn’t see a lot of Venezuelan gang members on January 6.

  12. Welcome to the consequences of the Biden/Harris border policies. As I recall, this area voted blue. Elections have consequences and the people of Aurora have invited it.

  13. Commissar Jurinsky may be right about the third-world thing. We have a corrupt City Council that governs in secret, fights tooth-and-nail to keep the public from knowing what they do behind closed doors, interferes with the courts and the rightful administration of justice, funnels tax-payer money to the wealthy, brazenly passes laws to benefit their business interests, and on and on and on. The divinely inspired opinions of our autocratic overlords are not to be questioned or challenged. Dissenters are called terrorists. Very third world indeed.

  14. The communist are setting up a stage of martial law with Chinese troops to take down patriots. Prepare for civil war!

  15. It’s far easier and safer to gaslight the public than to uphold the law. Time to call in the National Guard. It’s been known that cartels have a foothold in all 50 states.

  16. If there is a Venezuelan gang problem in Aurora, then why aren’t the GOP controlled mayor and city council doing anything about it? Why didn’t they do anything to prevent it?
    As far as the video circulating on social media, when was that taken? Where was it taken? That video isn’t proof of a gang problem. It’s proof of an armed robbery somewhere, some time.

    1. “If there is a Venezuelan gang problem in Aurora, then why aren’t the GOP controlled mayor and city council doing anything about it? Why didn’t they do anything to prevent it?”

      Because your side constantly screeches and practices lawfare when someone does actually try to do something to prevent it? But I do appreciate you confirming that functional, high-trust societies need not bother taking anything your side says at face value.

  17. Is there any effort in Aurora now–i.e. Spanish-speaking churches, to sit down with these Venezuelans and try to get to know them. What motivated them to come to the States? How many might want to return to Venezuela if things improve there? What I have learned is that heavy U.S. sanctions have led to lack of health care (and probably other basic needs) and as a result thousands of Venezuelans have died. So the U.S. sanctions is the root cause of this risky venture.

    2. Are you still on LSD high. The only time anyone should he sitting and talking to illegals and thugs is when they are getting ready to be thrown out of this country.

  18. “It is usually futile to try to talk facts and analysis to people who are enjoying a sense of moral superiority in their ignorance.”

    — Thomas Sowell

    1. Well, finally our local MTG (Jurinski) made it to Fox propaganda network. She made it in the usual way with no evidence. How nice. Congratulations!

  19. Y’all saying there is no gang activity are lying or just blind. I lived on chambers and Mississippi in apartments that were taken over by migrants who were gang affiliated. They literally wore colors, were running drugs and girls out of apartments. Men were coming and going all hours of the day and night who did not live there and addicts would their paraphernalia all over outside the building. I have pictures and videos from my cameras outside showing it all. We got the hell outta there cause it’s not safe and no one is doing anything about it.

  20. Y’all saying there is no gang activity are lying or just blind. I lived on chambers and Mississippi in apartments that were taken over by migrants who were gang affiliated. They literally wore colors, were running dr*gs and girls out of apartments. Men were coming and going all hours of the day and night who did not live there and addicts would their paraphernalia all over outside the building. I have pictures and videos from my cameras outside showing it all. We got outta there cause it’s not safe and no one is doing anything about it. And then y’all want to come for our 2nd amendment in this state but allow these criminals to be waving illegals guns while being illegal in our country… but if you’re a citizen forget about it.

    1. Curious, January. Obviously no one came and confiscated your weapons. Why didn’t you stand your ground when all this was going on. Asking for a friend.

      1. It’s still going on dude. Where have you been? Under a rock? Who said I didn’t when they tried to break into my apartment while I was home alone? Or was just supposed to allow them to break into my home? As a poc myself and an immigrant who got their citizenship the right way I don’t think so.

  22. The Big Picture: Another MAGA news cycle fodder that has made its way into the National level News cycle. This is a pattern, trend, and now common MAGA tactic for creating fake news for the MAGA Base Cult.

  23. Good. Keep pretending they don’t exist. We’ll keep watching what happens as you all get quieter and quieter.

  25. Hearsay and quoting Fox, NewsNation, etc. isn’t proof. These networks have an obvious political agenda (allowing a presidential candidate to make blatantly false statements without any fact checking is evidence of that). Please research beyond the propaganda, i.e. the Aurora Police Department (what reason would they have to deny a problem like this if it truly exists?). If there is verifiable information on this confirmed by multiple sources, then it should be reported. As of now, I don’t see it.

  26. Since it’s fundamentally impossible for any of you to conclusively know this isn’t an issue, it becomes apparent how much all of you are delusional liars.
    You overplayed your hands. Normal sane humans who cared about life, others, rule of law, would not vehemently reject the possibility of an issue so wholly and quickly.

  27. Would someone please take the keyboard away from Dave Perry. He keeps creating names in the comments above but posting the same thing over and over again.

  28. If you look at the warning letters aurora sent to the property owners of the fitzsimmons apartments none of them mention code violations. They say it I’d a nuisance property because of crime and the landlord was not doing enough to stop it. If the landlord did not control the crime it would be shut down. You can see those letters in the sentimental article “Aurora apartment owner says cops let immigrant gang overrun a complex, but officials say neglect turned it into a slum” on August 6th.

    1. Well the landlord would have recieved letters about each individual code violation as well as having those violation notices posted at the property. The nuisance warning letter about the crime was in addition to those code letters, it was not the first nor a comprehensive list of all problems at the property.

  29. This was the first time I have ever read a chat. It will be my last. You people have been rude and mean. That’s why we have gangs, drugs and anarchy. Nobody cares about anybody but them selves. We should first be worried about those lives left inside that building. If we can come together, taking our country back can easily be done. We stand together as one. We need to find a citizen that cares and will not stop until this country is back to the way it was in 1942. A leader not a politician. We can do it with the right person. America, when you vote in November remember this. A pride of lions led by a lamb is no match against a flock of sheep led by a lion. Tonight I wish you all well and for those still in harm, don’t worry we are coming, we are all Americans. For those gang members in Arora, watch your ass. AMERICAN ARE SO GOOD AT WAR, ITS ARE PRIMARY EXPORT.

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