Perkins Coie, a Denver-based law firm, uncovered that the Tren de Aragua gang had allegedly taken over the Whispering Pines Apartments in Aurora, Colorado, by the end of 2023.
The firm was hired to investigate claims that this gang had seized control of the apartment complex, where it was reportedly involved in a range of serious crimes, including assaults, murder threats, extortion, coercion, and child sex trafficking.
The law firm presented its findings to Aurora officials, including Mayor Mike Coffman, City Manager Jason Batchelor, and the interim police chief, on August 9, 2024.
“The evidence we reviewed indicates that gang members are engaging in flagrant trespassing violations, assaults and battery, human trafficking, sexual abuse of minors, unlawful firearms possession, extortion, and other criminal activities, often targeting vulnerable Venezuelan and other immigrant populations,” wrote T. Markus Funk, a former U.S. Attorney, in the Perkins Coie report.
The law firm represents the lender for Whispering Pines Apartments, located at 1357 Helena Street, one of several apartment complexes in Aurora allegedly controlled by the gang.
As part of its investigation, the firm interviewed witnesses and reviewed video footage from the complex.
According to the report, members of the Tren de Aragua gang made threats to kill property management, and in some instances, allegedly attempted to carry out these threats.
The property manager, who has 15 years of experience, stated, “I’ve never seen anything remotely like this takeover in my entire career.”
Whispering Pines comprises 54 apartments, with monthly rents ranging from $1,450 to $2,000, typically housing working-class Hispanic families with children.
The property manager began his role in January 2024, though the gang had reportedly already taken control of the complex before his arrival.
The report highlighted an incident in November 2023, where a consultant for the property management company was beaten so severely by gang members that he required hospitalization. The assault, according to the report, was unprovoked.
The gang’s activities escalated in 2024. In April, a tenant alerted the property manager, saying two individuals entered an apartment, retrieved large firearms, and threatened to kill him over unpaid rent.
The property manager confirmed the suspects were arrested, and the report identified them as gang members.
The property manager further claimed that gang members had allegedly stabbed a resident who refused to pay “rent” to the gang. Video footage showed gang members knocking on doors, attempting to collect unauthorized rent from tenants.
In June, suspected gang members approached the property manager, offering to “help” manage the complex if he agreed to give them 50% of the rent collected.
This proposal, characterized by investigators as an “organized crime tactic,” was followed by gang members taking control of vacant apartments, moving in new residents, and forcing them to pay rent.
One gang member allegedly told a housekeeper, “This is our business plan. If [the property manager] doesn’t like it, we’ll fill him with bullets.”
Footage later showed gang members forcibly entering apartments, breaking down doors, and moving Venezuelan immigrants into vacant units.
Investigators concluded that the gang members’ brazen behavior reflected their growing control over the property and their disregard for law enforcement.
This case illustrates a broader issue—how criminal organizations are exploiting weak immigration controls to establish footholds in American communities.
As long as policies promoting open borders remain in place, gangs like the Tren de Aragua gang will continue expanding their influence across the U.S.
