Documentation doesn’t support Justice Department’s claims in Colo. gang case : NPR

Mary Louise Kelly, host:

This week, the Trump administration announced what it called a radical federal case targeting the Venezuelan gang Tren from Aragua to Colorado. On the campaign track, Donald Trump said the gang took control of buildings in the suburbs of Denver. Then, as president, he said it was a terrorist organization. Now, officials of the Ministry of Justice of Colorado say that they charge 30 people affiliated with the gang, accusing them of crimes, including the sale of drugs and firearms and murder for rental. But the details of this case question how really the dismantling of a gang is. Allison Sherry covers criminal justice for Colorado public radio. Hey, Allison.

Allison Sherry, Byline: Hi.

Kelly: So these words, sweeping a federal case, which makes it look like a big problem, or at the very least like the Trump administration taking measures on a campaign promise. Is it true?

Sherry: Yes, you know, almost a year ago, President Trump organized a campaign rally in Aurora, a suburb alongside Denver, where people on the right alleged that the gang had taken up a large part of the city. Trump said that he had launched, would quote “Operation Aurora” and stood on a scene next to the photos of the alleged members of Tren of Aragua in orange combinations.

Kelly: OK, and this is now bringing us. And now the American lawyer for Colorado says he has arrested some of these alleged gang members.

Sherry: Yes, the American lawyer for Colorado Peter McNeil presented it as this big break in a criminal organization based on a gang. But when we really read the affidavits, we noticed that many of them were old cases – some had been arrested months ago – and that this investigation actually started under President Biden last year. And they are mainly intended for crimes of firearms and drugs, which are serious, but also quite common. It therefore seemed to be a kind of reconditioning of cases under a new banner, that is to say that this discloses Tren of Aragua in Colorado.

Kelly: So I’m trying to reconstruct all of this together. This operation, or has it not done many gang members of the street?

Sherry: Not really. Of the 30 orders, the American lawyer said that eight of them were gang members and that three of these people were leaders. And as indicated, they were a little loose on what describes proof of the affiliation of gangs, tattoos, this kind of thing. But I actually think, more importantly, that none of the real crimes charged has anything to do with gangs or gang activities or gang connections. These are not cases of racketeering, for example. These were operations carried out in certain South Denver buildings by infiltrated officers and a confidential informant.

They say they have withdrawn a quota of Tren from Aragua, but that rises to eight people. And two of them were in fact in Colombia at the time of the arrests. So you know, in other words, these criminal accusations mean that the federal government will not have to prove that gang ties are real or if all they say about Tren de Aragua is true.

Kelly: And you were able to ask questions about it, ask the American lawyer how they reconcile these details?

Sherry: Yeah. You know, journalists – there was a big bank of journalists there. And they asked what thirty of Aragua was great in Colorado, and he refused to say. But the federal government characterized this case, these cases, as one of the largest surveys of Tren in Aragua throughout the country.

(Soundbit of archived registration)

Peter McNeilly: I have a message specifically for ADD. We will not let you use Colorado as head office in the United States. We are committed to the total elimination of ADD.

Kelly: Allison, the alleged point is to make communities safer. So, do we know, is Colorado safer than before?

Sherry: Yes, I mean, it’s a very good question. I think that the buildings of the apartments where it all started are definitely, without a doubt more safe, with fewer people wearing rifles and illegal drugs. Calls to service in these buildings have dropped by 75%, says sheriff. But in general, are we all safer, you know, given this operation? I think this is a question about the cost of opportunity. I think that the police must always take into consideration what they prioritize, what they spend time and resources.

Kelly: right.

Sherry: There are many other gangs. The working group that worked on this case has actually started to face MS-13 …

Kelly: right.

Sherry: … but under the Trump administration went to focus on Tren of Aragua. You know, MS-13 is a much larger gang.

Kelly: OK.

Sherry: Should the federal government had to spend time on that?

Kelly: We will leave it there.

Sherry: Yeah.

Kelly: We will leave it there. Allison Sherry from Colorado Public Radio. Thank you so much.

Sherry: You are welcome.

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