The situation in Aurora, CO has gained attention, as gangs and illegal immigrants have taken control of our properties. However, the larger issue is that the government not only ignored the crisis but also scapegoated us to avoid accountability. 🧵
Where we stand now:
Two of our properties in Aurora, CO remain under gang control. By "gang control," we mean that most or all of the rental income is diverted to a criminal enterprise comprised of gang members and illegal immigrants instead of the rightful property owners. A third building was shut down by the city for "code violations." Let's take a closer look at these so-called violations.
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.
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. 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 owners are expected to be vigilant in preventing or deterring crime."
However, we believe crime prevention and deterrence are primarily the police's responsibility. Notably, our representative was attacked in the building by gang members less than two months after we received this letter. This is what happens when the police fail to take responsibility and instead place the burden on property managers.
drive.google.com/file/d/1Of5XNQ…
We sought help before the situation escalated to where we stand today, believing other government officials were unaware of what was happening to our buildings. We contacted everyone in power we thought could help.
We asked for help from the governor - see letter.
drive.google.com/file/d/1_PFrdc…
We asked for help from the mayor - see letter.
drive.google.com/file/d/1v2TYcX…
We asked for help from the Attorney General - see letter.
When a lender became involved with one of the properties, they expressed skepticism about our narrative. They questioned how a criminal enterprise could operate unchecked in the United States while government officials either ignored the situation or blamed the property managers. To address these concerns, the lender hired an independent law firm, Perkins Coie, to conduct an investigation. They titled their nine-page report, which was shared with the Chief of Police, the Mayor, and the City Manager, “Tren de Aragua Takeover of Aurora Apartment Buildings.”
Are the issues in these buildings genuinely due to “code enforcement” violations?!
See Report:
drive.google.com/file/d/1p2wReE…
When anyone claims that the property owners made decisions based on increasing profitability or exploiting anyone, the data tell a very different story. Numbers don’t lie!
Instead of answering our call for help and addressing the crime, the police withheld key information. We had no idea we were dealing with an organized crime group until we later met with the FBI and Homeland Security, who told us the crimes on our properties were linked to a larger issue involving the Tren de Aragua cartel.
The bottom line is that the police failed to do their job, which allowed crime to escalate. When our tenants called for help, their calls were often ignored. Our full-time management team, consisting of six members—four of whom lived on-site—faced the same difficulties in getting police to respond. Our on-site employees were threatened with death. The gang threatened to kill our on-site manager if he returned to the property.
Even the private security company we hired - at the request of the city - encountered challenges in getting law enforcement to respond. The issue persisted even after the video of the armed men in the stairwell went viral across America. Here are multiple reports from our security company documenting many situations where they called to report suspicious activity and often waited many hours for police to arrive - often never showing up.
Recent Logs:
drive.google.com/drive/folders/…
As mentioned, the same law enforcement failures were experienced by our tenants. Here’s Cindy Romero, a tenant, sharing her story about police neglect. "They left us there to die."
Rather than tackling criminals who entered our COUNTRY illegally, threatening our properties and the community, the mayor chose to label us as "out-of-STATE slumlords," despite the fact we have local representation, employ locals and have invested $1.3 million into upgrading these properties.
Even if we were from out-of-state, shouldn’t a mayor want to attract out-of-state investors to improve his city?
Now that the Walgreens near our property is shutting down, will the mayor call them “out-of-state drug lords”?
The mayor even blamed our nearby Walmart for their recent closure, suggesting that Walmart (not the police) was too soft on crime.
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.
Furthermore, many in the media have played a role in obscuring this issue, which is why we are sharing our story directly on X. However, that’s a topic for another discussion, so stay tuned.
There is much more to this story, and we will provide specific details backed by solid data.
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