Aurora cops admit arresting Tren de Aragua criminals after denying the Venezuelan gang was in the city

Aurora police have identified the Tren de Aragua gangsters who have been arrested in connection with their alleged violent takeover of several apartment complexes in the city.

Aurora police previously denied that the Venezuelan criminal gang was active in properties in the Denver suburb, even after shocking security footage showed gunmen entering the buildings of one complex.

Many of the arrests have been the result of violent activity at the properties, particularly the Whispering Pines apartments. According to the landlord, the gang took over the property late last year and began charging tenants “rent.”

Some arrests came as early as late 2023, when the gang had a “stranglehold” on the premises, according to the property’s managers, and were guilty of assault, death threats, extortion and even child prostitution.

Yoendry Vilchez Medina-Jose was arrested on August 5 and is accused of assault at the complex last November.

A firm hired by the complex’s owners had previously said that in November a consultant had been beaten and punched so badly by gang members that he had to be hospitalized. It is not clear whether this is the same attack Medina-Jose is accused of.

Meanwhile, Juan Carlos Mejia-Espana was arrested on March 17 following a reported domestic dispute involving a weapon, Yorman Camilo Sangronis-Garcia was arrested on February 4 for a hit-and-run incident on the complex, and Larry Medina was arrested on July 10 in connection with uttering threats.

They are all documented members of Tren de Aragua.

TdA member Jhonardy Pacheco-Chirinos was arrested following an alleged November 2023 assault at the Fitzsimons Place Apartments at 1568 Nome St. He is also suspected of being involved in a non-fatal shooting at the property on July 28.

His brother Jhonnarty Dejesus Pacheco-Chirinos, a fellow TdA member, is also accused of the July 28 shooting at the compound.

Some TdA members were arrested for crimes that at first glance appear to have nothing to do with the occupied buildings.

Carlos Aranguren-Mayora is accused of 38 crimes in the Denver area, starting in December 2023.

Roiberth Daniel Mora-Marquez was arrested in April and charged with assaulting someone over unpaid rent. He is also a suspect in a non-fatal shooting on June 28.

“For some time, long before concerns about TdA in Colorado gained national attention, APD has been arresting people for various criminal activities that had suspected (but not necessarily confirmed) TdA connections,” police said in a statement.

“To date, APD has linked 10 people to TdA and arrested eight of those people. Two of the eight people taken into custody were involved in a July shooting at one of the specific properties in the city that has been experiencing problems with TdA activity.

‘In addition to these arrests, we can now confirm that criminal activity, including TdA issues, has had a significant impact on these properties.’

However, Aurora officials added that “the problems experienced at a limited number of properties do not apply to the city as a whole or to large portions of it.”

“TdA has not ‘taken over’ the city. The exaggerated claims being fueled by social media and select news organizations are simply not true,” their statement said.

This follows a shocking report detailing the takeover of the Whispering Pines by the Venezuelan gang.

Law firm Perkins Coie was hired by the lender of Whispering Pines Apartments, 1357 Helena Street, to investigate the alleged takeover, alleging the gang “extorted rent” from people they moved into vacant apartments.

According to the apartment manager, the vacant units are used for “parties” with the gang involved in “drug and child prostitution”, adding that “minors are a good source of income”.

The report, released in August, said: “Tren de Aragua threatened to kill members of Whispering Pines’ management (and in certain instances, he apparently actively attempted to do so).”

The gang’s activity increased this year, with a housekeeper claiming in April 2024 that two individuals “entered an apartment, came out with large firearms and were on their way to kill.” [the property manager].

The property manager said the two individuals were gang members and were arrested when they tried to kill him.

The manager also alleged that “gang members stabbed a Whispering Pines resident for refusing to pay ‘rent’ to the gang.”

He told the law firm that the gangsters offered to help him in June if he paid them 50 percent of the rental income.

A housekeeper said that a gang member told her, “This is our business plan… If he… [property manager] “If he doesn’t like it, we’ll shoot him full of bullets.”

Former U.S. Attorney T. Markus Funk wrote: “The evidence we reviewed indicates that gang members are engaged in high-profile crimes of trespassing, assault, human trafficking and sexual abuse of minors, illegal possession of weapons, extortion, and other criminal activities, often targeting vulnerable Venezuelan and other immigrant populations.”

Aurora police say the gang did not take over any buildings. City officials say the buildings, along with two other apartment complexes, were neglected due to the negligence of the property manager, CBZ Management.

During a visit to the Edge Lory Apartments, where the gunmen were filmed, Aurora Interim Police Chief Heather Morris said gang members had not taken over the property and were not collecting rent. The comments came after Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman said “criminal elements” had taken over several unnamed buildings and were extorting residents.

Aurora Police Officer Matthew Longshore reiterated in an email to The Associated Press on Thursday that the agency has confirmed that residents are not paying rent to gang members, but they found that apartment managers are no longer sending representatives to the complex.