A U.S. congressman joins the ranks of those placing the blame for recent gang violence on the open borders immigration policies of the Biden-Harris administration. The congressman argues that these policies have contributed to a surge in criminal activity, as evidenced by recent videos showing heavily-armed South American gang members intimidating residents in several apartment buildings in Colorado.

Last week, video footage emerged depicting criminals threatening tenants and forcibly entering apartments in Aurora, a suburb of Denver, Colorado. Local authorities confirmed that the Venezuelan-based Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang had taken over three apartment buildings in the area. 

TdA, described by the U.S. government as Venezuela’s “most powerful criminal gang,” was formed in the prisons of Venezuela. According to authorities, the gang operates “sex trafficking networks and exploits Venezuelan migrants.”

“Back in April, the chief of the U.S. Border Patrol warned Americans to ‘watch out for this gang. It is the most powerful in Venezuela, known for murder, drug trafficking, sex crimes, extortion and other violent acts,’” The Gazette noted.

Now with a foothold in the Denver metro area, gang members have been accused of a jewelry heist, a violent beating, multiple shootings and breaking into apartment units with rifles.

In July, the Biden-Harris administration had designated TdA as a transnational criminal organization and offered a $12 million reward for information leading to the arrest of its leaders. The gang, which boasts about 5,000 members, boasts the motto “Real until death.”

Federal officials view TdA’s presence in the U.S. as a direct result of the Biden-Harris administration’s lenient border policies. 

Rep. Alex Mooney (R-W.Va.) criticized the administration on Washington Watch last week, saying, “You have a completely open border that anyone can go through,” including “drug dealers, criminals,” and individuals seeking employment at the expense of U.S. citizens. He added, “When criminals, drug dealers, gangs see an open border — and Vice President Kamala Harris has refused to close it — they’re going to take advantage of it.”

Further, Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky (R) has spoken out about the gang’s actions, while Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman (R) revealed that “several buildings … have fallen to these Venezuelan gangs.” 

Residents of the affected buildings, which house a significant number of Venezuelan migrants, watched as TdA members intimidated property managers and took over rent collection.

Mayor Coffman told Fox News, “I think we’re a victim of a failed policy at the southern border.” 

However, initially, Colorado Governor Jared Polis’ (D) office downplayed the occupation. 

“According to police intelligence, this purported invasion is largely a feature of Danielle Jurinsky’s imagination,” said Polis’ spokeswoman, Shelby Wieman.

This response solicited extreme public backlash, and later, Polis confirmed the situation to CNN, stating, “We’ve taken it very seriously,” and assured that local police are “on the front lines” with state assistance available if requested.

Coffman expressed frustration, noting that Aurora had previously decided not to participate in the migrant crisis or provide taxpayer support, suspecting that illegal immigrants from Venezuela were settled in the area through federal actions, potentially involving local nonprofits. 

“These people didn’t just go there on their own; somebody put them there,” Coffman said, Washington Stand reported.

Ted Harvey, a former Colorado State Senator, criticized Denver-area officials for promoting immigration-friendly policies, which he believes encouraged illegal immigration. Harvey told Newsmax that illegal immigrants were being accommodated in government-funded hotels and then terrorized by other illegal immigrants. He also mentioned a recent spike in vehicle thefts tied to Venezuelan crime.

Since President Joe Biden’s administration began, human traffickers have exploited both northern and southern borders, and the administration has facilitated the relocation of illegal immigrants across the U.S. Biden appointed Harris as “border czar” in early 2021, a role she later shifted to address the “root causes” of illegal immigration from Central America. Critics argue that immigration levels from these regions have not significantly decreased under her watch.

Colorado natives anticipated the gang’s presence in advance.

 “There’s a lot of criminality in Venezuela. It’s basically a failed state,” Coffman observed. He attributes the worsening situation to both the Biden-Harris administration’s border policies and the criminal nature of Venezuela.

Mooney contends that international criminal organizations are taking advantage of the open border to traffic drugs, humans, and arms. He asserts that only a significant change in policy by President Biden or Vice President Harris could stop this trend. 

“Criminals do evil things. But they’re not stupid,” Mooney said.

Rep. Eric Burlison (R-Mo.) has previously criticized Harris’ performance as Border Czar as one of the most significant failures in American history. Harris has proposed a “bipartisan” border bill with some border construction funding, but experts argue it is fundamentally flawed, requiring the Department of Homeland Security to process and release 1,400 inadmissible individuals daily.

Mooney believes Harris has evaded accountability for her border policies. “The mainstream media these days is trying to downplay [the] role” of Harris as Border Czar, he said. “She was put in charge of this three years ago. She is directly responsible for” the border’s “lawlessness and chaos.”