Two members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, which has been connected to a series of violent incidents in Aurora, Colorado, were arrested in New York City, officials have confirmed. Danyeer Aramillo Meneses, 23, and Edilson Pena Angulo, 25, were reportedly taken into federal custody following a Tuesday night operation, as stated by KDVR. The two men were previously linked to a video that went viral, depicting armed individuals at an apartment complex in Aurora.
The Department of Homeland Security investigators actively tracked down the two men who were wanted by Aurora police. According to an ICE spokesperson, Meneses and Pena Angulo had both been encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol after illegally entering the United States in 2023. Following their arrest, they remained in ICE custody, as reported by Denver7. "U.S. Border Patrol encountered Pena on April 29, 2023, in El Paso, Texas after he unlawfully entered the United States. USBP issued him a notice to appear and released him on his own recognizance May 3, 2023," according to ICE Public Affairs Officer Steve Kotecki.
Concerns regarding the Tren de Aragua gang's presence in Aurora increased following a shooting that ended the life of 25-year-old Oswaldo Jose Dabion Araujo. This fatal incident was later linked to the same rifle that appeared in the aforementioned video. Additionally, another individual associated with the break-in at the apartment complex, Naudi Lopez-Fernandez, was previously taken into custody in October, as detailed by 9News.
Tren de Aragua has increasingly been under scrutiny for its activities in Aurora, and notably, arrests have occurred beyond gang-related incidents in the Aurora area. According to reports, some members were apprehended for offenses in Jefferson and Boulder counties. Amidst the situation, misleading claims about the city being 'taken over' by the gang were refuted by Aurora Police and city officials, even as such statements had been repeated by notable politicians, such as the then president-elect Donald Trump. Despite these denials, the gang's influence in Aurora has been a significant cause for alarm due to the shootings, assaults, and menacing encounters connected to its members.
