Police identify 10 Tren de Aragua members with alleged ties to Colorado apartment takeovers

The Aurora Police Department recently released a statement revealing that it has identified 10 confirmed members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

On Wednesday, APD posted a bulletin about the individuals, stating that the department has been "investigating reports" that the gang has been active in the area.

One of the men, Larry Medina, was arrested by authorities on July 10 in connection with a felony for alleged "menacing at Whispering Pines Condominiums." A victim accused Medina of pointing a gun and threatening to kill them.

'We can also now confirm that criminal activity, including TdA issues, had significantly affected those properties.'

Jhonardy Pacheco-Chirinos was detained earlier this year after he was accused of first-degree assault that reportedly took place at Fitzsimons Place, an Aurora apartment complex.

Jhonnarty Dejesus Pacheco-Chirinos was also arrested in connection with a non-fatal shooting that occurred at the property.

Yoendry Vilchez Medina-Jose was captured last month by the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office for his alleged involvement in an assault at Whispering Pines Condominiums in November.

Earlier this year, Juan Carlos Mejia-Espana was detained following a domestic dispute at the same apartment complex.

According to the APD, eight of the 10 identified TDA gang members have been arrested for allegedly "committing acts of violence against members of the migrant community."

The update from law enforcement officials comes amid arguments from some politicians, including Democratic Governor Jared Polis, that claims of the gang's increased presence in the area and takeover of several apartment complexes are incorrect or overblown.

Polis previously called the apartment takeovers a figment of Aurora City Council member Danielle Jurinsky's "imagination," Blaze News reported. Jurinsky has been outspoken about her concerns regarding TDA's influence in the area.

Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman and Jurinsky released a joint statement this week with the "full enforcement" of the city manager and ADP.

"For some time, well before concerns about TdA in Colorado generated national attention, APD had been arresting people for various criminal activities who had suspected, but not necessarily confirmed, TdA connections. To date, APD has now linked 10 people to TdA and has arrested eight of those people," the joint statement read.

"Two of the eight individuals who were taken into custody were involved in a July shooting at one of the specific properties in the city that have experienced issues with TdA activity. In line with these arrests, we can also now confirm that criminal activity, including TdA issues, had significantly affected those properties," it added.

The two clarified that "TDA has not 'taken over' the city," but its "presence in Aurora is limited to specific properties."

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for Polis said, "Aurora is a great, vibrant city of more than 400,000 hardworking Coloradans and a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family and the Governor hopes that there has not been reputational damage from previous, cynical statements made by certain city officials."

"Colorado is a zero-tolerance state for illegal activity. The Governor and his public safety team have been in close contact with the mayor and the City of Aurora for weeks on this matter, and are active participants in the task force," the spokesperson added.

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