Suspect admits Tren de Aragua ties after viral video shows him with armed group at Aurora apartment: Report
A man recently admitted to law enforcement that he is a member of the gang Tren de Aragua after he was reportedly caught on surveillance footage storming through a Colorado apartment complex with several other armed individuals, according to a New York Post report.In August, a viral video showed a group of five men, four of whom were carrying firearms, banging on the door to a residence at the Edge at Lowry, an apartment complex in Aurora, Blaze News previously reported. Former residents and locals have sounded the alarm about TDA gang members taking over the property after Venezuelan nationals started moving in. TDA members have also reportedly expanded their presence to other apartments in the Aurora area.Three men were arrested in connection with the August video. One of those individuals has reportedly confessed to being a TDA gang member, law enforcement sources told the Post.Three other men who were captured in the video have not yet been identified.During an interview with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, 20-year-old Niefred Serpa-Acosta allegedly admitted to being in TDA. Sources also told the Post that Serpa-Acosta has crown tattoos, a symbol frequently associated with the gang.Aurora police Chief Todd Chamberlain has claimed that the department's investigation into the incident has not found any gang ties."There's a lot of limitations, a lot of rules, a lot of regulations that relate to identifying someone as a specific gang member or an affiliate of a gang," Chamberlain said. "Many of these individuals we're talking about come from a country which does not have a strong relationship with the United States, come from a country that does not have a database that they are going to share." All three of the suspects have lengthy rap sheets in the state, according to sources.KCNC-TV previously reported that the men were also involved in a deadly shooting approximately 10 minutes after the surveillance footage was captured.There is currently no confirmed evidence that the two other arrested suspects — 25-year-old Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco and 21-year-old Naudi Lopez Fernandez — are affiliated with the gang. Sources told the Post that Zambrano-Pacheco and Lopez Fernandez crossed illegally into the U.S. and were quickly released by border authorities. Since they have been in the country, they have been arrested multiple times.Acosta was reportedly arrested at least three times for theft, and, on one of those occasions, he was also charged with resisting arrest and obstructing an officer, according to the Post's sources. He is currently in ICE custody.The Aurora Police Department and ICE did not respond to a request for comment from the Post.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
A man recently admitted to law enforcement that he is a member of the gang Tren de Aragua after he was reportedly caught on surveillance footage storming through a Colorado apartment complex with several other armed individuals, according to a New York Post report.
In August, a viral video showed a group of five men, four of whom were carrying firearms, banging on the door to a residence at the Edge at Lowry, an apartment complex in Aurora, Blaze News previously reported.
Former residents and locals have sounded the alarm about TDA gang members taking over the property after Venezuelan nationals started moving in. TDA members have also reportedly expanded their presence to other apartments in the Aurora area.
Three men were arrested in connection with the August video. One of those individuals has reportedly confessed to being a TDA gang member, law enforcement sources told the Post.
Three other men who were captured in the video have not yet been identified.
During an interview with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, 20-year-old Niefred Serpa-Acosta allegedly admitted to being in TDA. Sources also told the Post that Serpa-Acosta has crown tattoos, a symbol frequently associated with the gang.
Aurora police Chief Todd Chamberlain has claimed that the department's investigation into the incident has not found any gang ties.
"There's a lot of limitations, a lot of rules, a lot of regulations that relate to identifying someone as a specific gang member or an affiliate of a gang," Chamberlain said. "Many of these individuals we're talking about come from a country which does not have a strong relationship with the United States, come from a country that does not have a database that they are going to share."
All three of the suspects have lengthy rap sheets in the state, according to sources.
KCNC-TV previously reported that the men were also involved in a deadly shooting approximately 10 minutes after the surveillance footage was captured.
There is currently no confirmed evidence that the two other arrested suspects — 25-year-old Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco and 21-year-old Naudi Lopez Fernandez — are affiliated with the gang.
Sources told the Post that Zambrano-Pacheco and Lopez Fernandez crossed illegally into the U.S. and were quickly released by border authorities. Since they have been in the country, they have been arrested multiple times.
Acosta was reportedly arrested at least three times for theft, and, on one of those occasions, he was also charged with resisting arrest and obstructing an officer, according to the Post's sources. He is currently in ICE custody.
The Aurora Police Department and ICE did not respond to a request for comment from the Post.
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!
Originally Published at Daily Wire, World Net Daily, or The Blaze
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