In a shocking and deeply unsettling revelation, a Denver law firm has blown the lid off an alleged Venezuelan gang takeover of the Whispering Pines Apartments in Aurora, Colorado.
According to a confidential report shared with Aurora’s top officials, the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang has been operating with impunity since late 2023, running a criminal empire out of the complex that includes violent assaults, extortion, and even child prostitution. The law firm’s findings paint a picture of chaos and fear in a community made up largely of working-class Hispanic families—families that now find themselves caught in the stranglehold of one of Venezuela’s most notorious criminal organizations.
The nine-page report, obtained by CBS News Colorado, details how the gang quickly entrenched itself in the apartment complex, using intimidation, threats of murder, and physical violence to assert control. In one chilling instance, gang members allegedly beat a consultant so severely that he was hospitalized. This wasn’t some turf squabble; the gang has reportedly been trying to strongarm the property manager, demanding a cut of the rent in exchange for “help” and enforcing its own set of rules with guns and threats. If the property manager didn’t comply, gang members promised to “fill him with bullets.”
This isn’t just petty crime—this is organized, calculated, and brazen. TdA members have reportedly been taking over vacant units, moving in Venezuelan immigrants, and extorting rent from residents while using the units to host drug-fueled parties that involve child prostitution. The sheer audacity of these operations speaks volumes about the gang’s confidence in operating above the law. As one gang member reportedly said, “This is our business plan.”
The property manager’s account is harrowing. Threats on his life, near-assassinations, and violent stabbings over unpaid “rent” to the gang are part of the daily reality at Whispering Pines. And it’s not just the property manager—the tenants, many of whom are vulnerable immigrants, are living in constant fear of this criminal syndicate. Residents are being extorted, threatened, and subjected to unimaginable horrors, all within the walls of what was supposed to be a safe place to live.
The law firm’s report highlights that the criminal activity escalated dramatically in 2024, culminating in an attempted murder of the property manager in April. In another terrifying incident, a housekeeper was reportedly threatened with death if she didn’t hand over keys to vacant apartments. Police reports from Aurora support the law firm’s findings, with officers warning each other to bring backup when responding to calls at Whispering Pines.
Colorado law firm report claims Venezuelan gang has “stranglehold” on apartments, takeover began in 2023:
“CBS News Colorado also obtained internal Aurora Police documents from June that appear to support some of the law firm’s conclusions.”
“An officer reported responding to…
— Ana Kasparian (@AnaKasparian) September 5, 2024
Aurora city officials have acknowledged the report and vowed to ramp up their ongoing investigation. The city’s police department has already formed a special task force to investigate violent crime affecting migrants and other vulnerable communities in the Denver metro area. But the question remains—how did things get this bad in the first place? How could a violent, foreign gang establish such a foothold in a suburban apartment complex, terrorizing residents without fear of the law?
NEW: There is now no doubt violent Venezuelan street gang Tren de Aragua at one point terrorized entire apartment complexes in the Denver Metro area.
Our @FrontlinesTPUSA team has obtained the 10 page investigation conducted by an outside law firm into Whispering Pines… pic.twitter.com/4KaEv0IcJx— Jonathan Choe (@choeshow) September 5, 2024
For now, the community at Whispering Pines remains under siege while authorities scramble to take back control. The brazen nature of the gang’s activities, combined with the vulnerability of the apartment’s tenants, presents a grim portrait of what can happen when organized crime takes root in a neighborhood—and it’s a problem that’s not going away anytime soon.
