Nineteen suspected members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua (TDA) gang were arrested this week following a brutal home invasion in Aurora, Colorado. The attack left two residents hospitalized and reignited concerns over migrant-related crime, particularly from City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky, who has consistently warned of rising gang activity in the city.
“This is unfortunately not something you want to be able to say ‘I told you so’ on, but I told you so,” Jurinsky stated in an interview on Fox & Friends Wednesday. “Nobody wanted to listen to me. This very much turned into political theater leading up to the presidential election. Many people have suffered.”
According to Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain, the suspects forcibly entered an apartment complex known for prior gang-related violence. They abducted two victims, taking them to another unit where the victims were severely beaten, pistol-whipped, and threatened. “This isn’t just assault. This isn’t just fistfights. This is absolute torture,” Jurinsky noted. Reports indicate the female victim’s fingernails were ripped off, and a male victim sustained a stab wound. Both are expected to recover.
Chief Chamberlain, who assumed his role in September, described the incident as “a gang incident” but refrained from officially confirming the suspects’ affiliations. “So, does this fall into the category of torture for me? Yeah, it does,” Chamberlain stated during a press conference.
Jurinsky has repeatedly voiced concerns over the increasing influence of the Tren de Aragua gang in Aurora. Earlier this year, another TDA-related incident at the same apartment complex gained national attention when gang members were seen pounding on doors and waving weapons. “Once the Americans were moved out of the complex, this is the most vulnerable population left,” Jurinsky explained. “These are other migrants. Some of them don’t even realize where they are. They were simply dropped off in the middle of the night in some cases.”
The Tren de Aragua gang, originating from Venezuela, has rapidly expanded its operations within the United States. Texas Congressman Troy Nehls recently reported that TDA now operates in at least 17 states. The gang has also been implicated in other violent crimes, including the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley.
Jurinsky holds the Biden administration’s border policies responsible for the surge in TDA-related crime. “These folks are a product of our current administration’s failed border policies. American citizens have had to suffer because of it,” she stated during a September appearance on The Ingraham Angle. A New York Times report confirmed that the Biden administration oversaw the highest net immigration numbers in U.S. history, largely driven by illegal immigration.
President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to crack down on gang-related crime and illegal immigration. At an October 11th rally in Aurora, Trump announced “Operation Aurora,” a plan to target undocumented immigrants with gang affiliations. Trump vowed to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expedite the removal of such gangs, calling them “savage.”
While critical of the city’s previous leadership, Jurinsky expressed support for Chief Chamberlain’s commitment to addressing gang violence. “He has made clear that we will not stand for this. It is a new day in the Aurora police chief’s office.”
Aurora residents now await to see if these arrests signal a turning point in the fight against the Tren de Aragua gang and other violent groups infiltrating the city.
