Newsweek – The Tren de Aragua (TdA) members have been known to Aurora Police Department for several months, but the town entered the national spotlight after a video showing violence in an apartment building went viral.
Aurora PD said Wednesday that TdA members had been “committing acts of violence against members of the migrant community” in the town.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the department shared the mugshots of nine of the ten known or reported members and outlined their alleged crimes.
Members of the Republican party, including Donald Trump and JD Vance, have claimed Aurora has been overrun by Venezuelan gang members in recent weeks.
The town’s mayor, Mike Coffman, told Newsweek on Friday that that was not the case and that the situation had been given “an exaggerated importance.”
Larry Medina was arrested July 10, police said, in connection with an incident just over a week before at Whispering Pines Condominiums, in which he allegedly pointed a firearm at a victim and threatened to kill them.
Cops arrested Jhonardy Pacheco-Chirinos on March on a first-degree assault warrant out of Adams District Court connected to an incident in November 2023 at Fitzsimons Place apartments on Nome St.
Aurora PD said Jhonardy is also suspected of being involved in a non-fatal shooting on July 28 at Fitzsimons Place apartments. He was arrested July 29.
Known as “Galleta” or “Cookie”, Jhonnarty Dejesus Pacheco-Chirinos, the former’s brother, was also arrested July 29 in connection with the same shooting at Fitzsimons Place.
Following another nonfatal shooting, this time on January 3 outside the Arapahoe County Probation Office, Luis Miguel Calzadilla-Rojas was arrested later that day.
Police said Yorman Camilo Sangronis-Garcia was involved in a consensual contact with officers over a report of a hit-and-run on Feb. 4 at Whispering Pines. He has not had any other contact with police.
