All it took for parts of Aurora, Colorado to descend into violent chaos was the collapse of a few apartment buildings. The town of 390,000 has become a war zone due to the presence of the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua. Members of the gang have used dilapidated apartments as bases, terrorizing residents with crime and drug dealing. For weeks, local officials denied that the gang was operating in Aurora, dismissing it as an isolated issue. However, after The Post revealed a top Tren de Aragua leader was based there, police publicly identified ten suspected members of the gang who had been arrested for terrorizing the city.
Aurora resident Jessica Montenegro and her family were forced to flee their apartment when a man with a gun in his waistband tried to gain entry. Montenegro has two middle-school age children and a ten-month-old. The gang members began arriving alongside a wave of Venezuelan migrants from Denver, the sanctuary city next door that took in more than 42,000 migrants since 2022, most of whom are from politically unstable South America.
Among the Tren de Aragua members named by Aurora police is Jhonardy Jose Pacheco-Chirinos, also known as “Galleta” or “Cookie. He was arrested and released on bond but allegedly went on to commit another act of violence. In July, he was arrested again alongside his brother, Jhonnarty Dejesus Pacheco-Chirinos, for possession of a stolen car and 750 counterfeit pills containing fentanyl.
Tren de Aragua gang violence isn’t just confined to Aurora. In Denver, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office busted four people linked to the gang in late August at the Ivy Crossing apartments. During that bust, cops seized 750 counterfeit pills, ketamine and a stolen car.
However, much of the gang activity is going unreported because the migrant community is fearful of law enforcement due to corruption in their home countries. Aurora police have been accused of downplaying the gang problem and not responding to calls about gunshots and loud music at night. The new Aurora Police Chief will need to address these issues and bring order back to the city.
