‘I Knew They Were Here’: Colorado Councilwoman Who Revealed Aurora Takeover Reacts To TdA Takedown

An Aurora, Colorado, city councilwoman said Tuesday she feels “sad” despite being vindicated after blowing the whistle on activities of the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) in her city.

The U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado announced a pair of indictments targeting 30 people tied to the gang after a probe that started by investigating activity caught on video at an Aurora apartment complex. City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky of Aurora told “America’s Newsroom” guest co-host Bill Melugin that some of those who attempted to discredit her, like Democratic Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, put the party’s interests above people’s lives. (RELATED: Scott Jennings Doesn’t Let CNN Panelist Off The Hook When She Calls ICE ‘Gestapo’ During Fiery Exchange)

“You know, the vindication continues to come but it is sad because you had people put politics over people’s lives and – and, you know, basically what happened in Colorado, and as you just read, Democrats lied and people died,” Jurinsky said. “That’s exactly what happened. These guns, I talked about how many guns Tren de Aragua had. They were open carrying, patrolling these properties.”

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“I spoke about this. I begged every Democrat in the state to come out and help me,” Jurinsky continued. “The governor of Colorado called the police on me. I was investigated for a video that I had of them talking about how this gang held her down at nine months pregnant and burned her with scalding water because she didn’t have enough rent money. I have been vindicated but I feel very sad.”

Democratic Gov. Jared Polis of Colorado initially denied that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) had taken over an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, in August 2024, despite a local TV station airing video of the gang’s activity, calling it the product of Jurinsky’s “imagination.” Officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) seized nearly 70 firearms used by the gang after their investigation, according to the release from the U.S. attorney’s office.

Melugin asked Jurinsky about the viral clash then-Republican vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance had with “This Week” host Martha Raddatz in October 2024 over the situation in Aurora.

“I was happy J.D. Vance said it that night. I was talking about three apartment complexes in Aurora. When I started seeing this narrative of it’s just a few apartment complexes, what’s the big deal, I always knew about Ivy Crossing. It is in Arapahoe County, not in Aurora,” Jurinsky said. “I never talked about Ivy Crossing because of how torturous the media was being towards me.” (RELATED: Chris Matthews Warns Dems ‘Falling Into The Trap’ By Opposing Trump’s DC Crackdown)

“But this was more than a handful of apartment complexes. This was more than just a few people. This was never isolated. It was never an isolated incident,” Jurinsky continued. “I knew they were here. I came face-to-face with several of these men. This is unbelievable to me, Bill, that on American soil we allowed a takeover like this. It is exactly what it was and said I since day one. They were taken over by the transnational gang and they were very much here and it happened on American soil in this state.”

President Donald Trump issued several executive orders to address illegal immigration on Jan. 20, 2025, including one that designated TdA, the El Salvadoran prison gang MS-13 and Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.

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