Centennial State News

CBZ Management, a Brooklyn-based company overseeing multiple apartment complexes in Colorado, is speaking out about a criminal takeover of their properties in Aurora. They allege that gangs and illegal immigrants have seized control of two buildings, while the city has scapegoated the company by citing code violations instead of addressing the escalating crime.

“Two of our properties in Aurora, CO, remain under gang control,” CBZ wrote in an Oct. 15 social media post on X. “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.”

In a series of social media posts, CBZ claimed that the city of Aurora has failed to tackle the root cause of the crisis—rising crime and gang activity—choosing instead to blame property owners. The company pointed to its history of maintaining compliance with building codes, accusing city officials of using "code violations" as a cover for their inability to curb organized criminal enterprises operating in their complexes.

“Like many large, older properties, code violations can happen. We have always addressed them promptly. Our track record proves this,” CBZ wrote. “In 2023, we passed three 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.

At the heart of CBZ’s argument is a letter from the Aurora Chief of Police, which placed the onus on property managers to "prevent or deter crime" on their premises. CBZ disputes this, arguing that crime prevention is the responsibility of law enforcement and that they have been left to fend for themselves. They claim that after receiving the letter, one of their representatives was attacked by gang members, a direct result of the police failing to step in.

“This is what happens when the police fail to take responsibility and instead place the burden on property managers,” CBZ wrote.

The company details its efforts to reach out to government officials, from the governor to the mayor and the Attorney General, all of whom either ignored the crisis or deflected responsibility. Despite hiring private security and reporting criminal activity, CBZ Management alleges that law enforcement's response was inadequate, with police either showing up late or not at all. In one instance, a viral video of armed men in a stairwell went unnoticed by law enforcement, further proving their case, according to the management.

To support their claims, CBZ points to an independent investigation conducted by the law firm Perkins Coie. The report, titled "Tren de Aragua Takeover of Aurora Apartment Buildings," detailed how the Venezuelan criminal gang had infiltrated their properties. This finding, shared with city officials, underscores CBZ’s assertion that the core issue is organized crime, not mismanagement or negligence on their part.

“Instead of answering our call for help and addressing the crime, the police withheld key information,” CBZ wrote. “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.”

According to InsightCrime, Tren de Aragua is Venezuela's most powerful homegrown criminal organization, which originated as a prison gang. Over time, it expanded its operations beyond Venezuela, becoming a transnational criminal network involved in activities like drug trafficking, extortion, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling. 

The company’s frustration is also directed at Aurora’s mayor, whom they accuse of deflecting blame by labeling their properties, as well as other local businesses like Walmart and Walgreens, as contributing to the city’s issues. CBZ argues that this misdirection has led to missed opportunities for revitalizing the community, which could have benefited from their $1.3 million investment in upgrading the properties.

Ultimately, CBZ Management asserts that Aurora’s crime problem, exacerbated by illegal immigration and gang activity, has spiraled out of control because of local government and law enforcement failures. Their story is one of frustration, feeling scapegoated for problems they believe are well beyond their control.

“Many in the media have played a role in obscuring this issue, which is why we are sharing our story directly on X,” CBZ wrote. “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.”

Aurora is a city located in the eastern part of the Denver metropolitan area in Colorado. As of 2023, its population is approximately 390,000, making it the third most populous city in the state.