Management Of Apartments Hijacked By Venezuelan Gang Says Company ‘Scapegoated’ By Local Officials

A property management company is accusing local officials in Colorado of “scapegoating” it to cover up a failure to police violent criminal gang members who have taken over rental properties.

CBZ Management, which manages multiple properties in Colorado, says it has lost control of apartment buildings in the city of Aurora to members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. In a series of posts from its recently created X account, CBZ accused local officials on Tuesday of ignoring the gang problem to shift blame for rising crime.

The management company said that the city has hit it with a series of “code violations” to cover for the real problem: violent gang members taking over the properties and extorting illegal rents from residents.

“Like many large, older properties, code violations can happen. We have always addressed them promptly. Our track record proves this. In 2023 we passed 3 full building inspections that included a detailed walk-through of every unit,” the company said on X. “So how does the city shut down 99 apartments for code violations after declaring everything up to code? Because it wasn’t about code violations — it was about a criminal takeover of our buildings and the city’s refusal to address it, instead choosing to blame us.”

“The real issue is the rise in crime in Aurora, illegal immigration and the city’s attempt to shift the blame onto us,” the company continued. “However, we believe crime prevention and deterrence are primarily the police’s responsibility.”

The real issue is the rise in crime in Aurora, illegal immigration and the city's attempt to shift the blame onto us. Attached is a letter from the Aurora Chief of Police, threatening to shut down our property by labeling it a criminal nuisance. The letter states, "property…

— Cbz Management (@CbzManagement) October 15, 2024

The company says that one of its representatives was attacked when looking into gang activities at one of its properties. In an earlier thread on X, the company posted a video of the alleged incident alongside a photo of the representative with his face bruised and bloody. The representative sought treatment at a hospital afterward, the company said.

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After some time, we noticed a rise in crime and tenant complaints. The most alarming moment occurred when our local CBZ representative was attacked at the end of 2023.

He had gone to inspect a recently vacated three-bedroom apartment (a rare occurrence for such a large unit)… pic.twitter.com/VkzMwmlixA

— Cbz Management (@CbzManagement) October 11, 2024

CBZ cited multiple instances of apparent neglect by police and city officials, referencing an investigation into the situation by the law firm Perkins Coie on behalf of one of CBZ’s lenders and the trouble CBZ’s private security firm had with getting the police to respond to problems.

Local officials have blamed the company, citing it for code violations that have totaled tens of thousands of dollars in fines. Former residents have filed lawsuits against the property manager alleging illegal evictions and poor property conditions. Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman has called the company an “out-of-state slumlord.”

CBZ said it has been unfairly maligned to cover for local officials’ inaction and inability to crack down on the Tren de Aragua gang.

“If the city had fulfilled its basic responsibilities instead of deflecting blame, our $1.3 million investment could have contributed to revitalizing Aurora. Instead, hardworking tenants lost their homes due to the city’s failure to protect them. As a result, we have been harmed, our lenders have suffered, and the City of Aurora is now under national scrutiny — rightfully so,” the company said.

In addition to Aurora, Tren de Aragua gangs have taken over apartment buildings in San Antonio, Texas, as well, according to the Daily Mail.