Landlord agrees to sell Colorado apartment complex at center of Venezuelan gang problems: report

Colorado authorities have agreed to drop all charges against the landlord of the Aurora apartment complex that was at the center of a violent takeover by Venezuelan gangs, a report says.

Documents obtained by the Denver Gazette show an agreement between the city and Nome Partners in which city officials agreed to drop dozens of charges against the landlord of the Aspen Grove apartment complex for failing to maintain the property.

The landlord’s charges also extend to his other home, which was featured in a viral video showing members of Tren de Aragua (TdA), the violent Venezuelan migrant gang, taking over an apartment by smashing through the door with heavy weapons.

The agreement states that in exchange for dropping the charges, Baumgarten will waive his right to a speedy trial and that Nome Partners LLC will agree to sell or lease the property and pay up to $60,000 in cleanup and security costs, among other things, 9News reported.

ICE CONFIRMS AURORA AND COLORADO GANG MEMBERS ILLEGALLY IN US, RELEASED BY BIDEN ADMIN

Suspected members of the Tren de Aragua gang have taken over an apartment building in Aurora, Colorado, and are demanding rent in exchange for “protection.” (Edward Romero)

Baumgarten’s company also blamed the takeover by the TdA gang for the unlivable condition of the Aspen Grove apartments.

One investor told The Denver Post that police had been aware of the gang problem for nearly a year.

In letters obtained by the Denver Gazette, the investor wrote that the situation had gotten so out of hand that they contacted local authorities to ask for help in removing the TdA members, who the attorney said had “forcibly taken control” of the property.

The landlord of the property also requested that off-duty police officers be hired to provide security for the property. The Aurora Police Department reportedly denied this request.

VENEZUELAN GANG’S ALLEGED TAKEOVER OF AURORA, COLORADO APARTMENTS BEGAN IN 2023: REPORT

In a statement provided to Fox News, ICE confirmed that four Venezuelan nationals are in the United States illegally. (Aurora Police Department, Eduard Romero)

“He was told we did not have enough staff to provide security on all of his properties,” Aurora Police Department spokesman Joe Moylan told the Gazette in a statement.

Congressman Greg Lopez (R-Colorado) is pushing the Biden administration to take a tougher stance against the presence of illegal immigrants involved in gangs in the U.S. Last week, he introduced a new bill to combat migrant gangs.

If passed, the bill would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain migrants who police know have gang ties.

It is one of several bills introduced by House Republicans since reports of crime by illegal immigrants have mounted in cities and towns across the U.S.

“Under your leadership, the United States has lost control of our southern border,” Lopez wrote in a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Wednesday, urging him to “immediately issue a directive” to the local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office “to aggressively arrest, detain, and deport all members of TdA or other known foreign criminal gangs present in the State of Colorado,” with a specific focus on Denver suburbs like Aurora.

TREN DE ARAGUA GANG MEMBERS ARRESTED IN AURORA, COLORADO IN CONNECTION WITH APARTMENT BUILDING TAKEOVER: POLICE

Former Congressman and current Mayor of Aurora, Colorado Mike Coffman was a guest on America Reports on Thursday to update the public on the Venezuelan gangs in his city. (Edward Romero, Getty Images, Danielle Jurinsky)

“Criminal networks, including Tren de Aragua, are taking advantage of the situation and wreaking havoc in our communities, as millions of incidents occur every year.”

Illegal immigrants have been charged with several high-profile murders in the US this year, including Laken Riley and Jocelyn Nungaray.

Federal officials believe TdA is active in the Denver metro area, terrorizing several apartment complexes in the city and neighboring suburbs. However, local politicians continue to insist that the “hysteria” surrounding concerns about Members of Venezuelan gangs The takeover of apartment buildings was “exaggerated” by the media.

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The police in Aurora also deny that there was a gang takeover.

“We’ve been talking to the residents here and learning from them to figure out exactly what’s going on, and there’s definitely a different picture,” Aurora Interim Police Chief Heather Morris said in a Facebook video, according to Today in the US“I’m not saying there aren’t gang members that don’t live in this community.”

Elizabeth Elkind of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.