Recent reports of armed gang takeovers in Aurora, Colorado apartment complexes have sparked a outrage among Colorado residents, property owners, and local officials.
The situation, involving the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA), has raised concerns about public safety and illegal immigration policies in Colorado, a so-called “sanctuary state.”
At the center of the controversy is the Aspen Grove apartment complex, owned by Zev Baumgarten and managed by Brooklyn-based CBZ Management.
The 99-unit property was shuttered in August, displacing approximately 300 residents, after city officials identified numerous health and safety issues including rodent infestations, sewage backups, lack of electricity, and trash accumulation.
Baumgarten, facing dozens of charges for failing to maintain the property, has agreed to sell or lease Aspen Grove as part of a deal with Aurora officials to drop all criminal charges. The agreement includes paying up to $60,000 for cleanup and security measures.
The landlord and his management company blame the deteriorating conditions on the Tren de Aragua gang, which is made up of illegal immigrants from Venezeula. The company said gang members scared away management staff and forced residents to pay rent directly to them.
Similar allegations have been made about two other properties managed by CBZ: the Edge of Lowry Apartments and Whispering Pines.
A law firm hired by the management, Perkins Coie, claimed in a letter to Aurora officials that TdA has had a “stranglehold” on the Whispering Pines Apartments since late 2023.
The firm reported that the gang has engaged in assaults, threats of murder, extortion, and even child prostitution. Property managers have alleged that gang members threatened to kill them and offered a “business plan” involving rent collection.
At our roundtable on Venezuelan gang activity in Aurora, we heard firsthand how gang members have held families at gunpoint, kicked in doors and taken over apartments, shot up cars, stabbed tires, and committed other crimes.
This gang is not “a figment of anyone’s imagination.” pic.twitter.com/E6ghbr3lHR
— Rep. Lauren Boebert (@RepBoebert) September 7, 2024
A viral video surfaced recently showing armed individuals breaking into a unit at one of Baumgarten’s properties. Take a look —
NEW: Venezuelan gang members are threatening to k*ll a property manager in Aurora, CO & are accused of child prost*tution according to a new bombshell legal letter.
The new revelation comes from a Denver law firm who was hired by a property manager in Aurora.
The gang is being… pic.twitter.com/SAyFBgIqrP
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 6, 2024
Interim Aurora Police Chief Heather Morris denied the reports, and said that gang members have not taken over buildings and are not collecting rent. The police department maintains that while there is gang presence in the area, claims of building takeovers are overstated.
Recently, four alleged Tren de Aragua members were arrested in Aurora in connection with an attempted murder in July. ICE officials reported that all four are illegal immigrants who were detained and released after crossing the Texas border under the Biden administration’s “catch and release” policy.
Rep. Greg Lopez, R-Colo., recently introduced a bill in response to the situation to force the Department of Homeland Security to issue detainers for illegal immigrants known to be affiliated with gangs.
The City of Aurora has been taking legal action against Baumgarten and CBZ Management for “years of neglecting properties and numerous code violations.”