What to know after claims went viral on social media about an armed Venezuelan gang in a Chicago building – NBC Chicago

Chicago police have commented on social media posts related to a 911 call claiming that armed Venezuelan gang members occupied a building in the city this week.

The allegations are similar to those made elsewhere in the United States

The gang in question is known as Tren de Aragua.

Although members of the criminal organization have been confirmed in Illinois and Chicago, US authorities are warning of reports that gang members are occupying residential buildings.

Chicago police confirmed they were called to a “call for assistance” on Monday evening in the 6100 block of South King Drive, the location of the viral call.

Officers there said the response was a “code for other incidents” or that they “coded” the call. However, no report was filed, the CPD’s intelligence department reported.

The code provided indicated a noise nuisance for which “no police intervention was required.”

The ministry stressed that it would not “confirm the status of any individual.”

Telemundo Chicago and NBC Chicago have been reporting on the gang’s presence in the United States for months.

With over 5,000 members, Tren de Aragua is the largest criminal organization in Venezuela. The transnational criminal organization has managed to spread its terror very quickly throughout South America.

Members of the violent gang are believed to be involved in criminal cases in five states, including Illinois and Indiana, local law enforcement officials told NBC News in June.

Authorities confirmed to NBC News that they are investigating more than 100 criminal cases related to alleged members of the Tren de Aragua, and NBC Chicago confirmed that at least two members have been arrested in Cook County on drug and weapons charges.

In January, intelligence units from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that members of the gang were in Chicago, based on internal emails obtained by Telemundo Chicago.

A spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations told NBC Chicago in a statement that the agency is “committed to working with our law enforcement partners to combat emerging threats and trends wherever we encounter them, including those involving transnational criminal organizations (TCOs).”

“HSI Chicago is aware of recent arrests for violent crimes involving individuals allegedly associated with the Tren de Aragua gang and continues to monitor emerging trends and assist partner law enforcement agencies,” the statement said. “Any person with information regarding TCO activities can submit an anonymous report by calling the HSI hotline at 877-4-HSI-TIP.”

The viral 911 call in Chicago was reminiscent of a recent situation in Colorado, where a video showing armed individuals in an Aurora apartment complex was widely shared and led to the spread of misinformation, according to authorities.

Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston told NBC affiliate 9NEWS in an interview Thursday that the situation was exaggerated.

Coffman told the station that while some residents of apartment buildings in the city are being intimidated by a Venezuelan gang, Aurora police are on top of the situation and are making arrests. Police described the gang activity as “isolated.”

While the presence of the Tren de Aragua was confirmed in both cities, Coffman and Johnston said inaccurate reports on the extent of the problem led to unexpected complications.

“It overwhelms our 911 system or our emergency dispatch center and impacts our ability to respond to crime,” Coffman told the station. “I would hope that people don’t. I think we’re in a kind of hysteria about it right now. It’s a real problem. It’s being treated. It’s isolated.”

Nevertheless, on August 30, Coffman reported on Facebook that the Aurora City Attorney’s Office was preparing documents seeking an injunction to vacate the homes “where Venezuelan gangs were active.”

That same day, Aurora Police video showed officers patrolling The Edge at Lowry Apartments. Acting Aurora Police Chief Heather Morris said in the video that officers, who had been in the area “for weeks,” determined after speaking with residents that “it’s definitely a different picture.”

“I’m not saying there aren’t gang members in this community, but what we’re learning here is that this housing complex hasn’t been taken over by gang members,” Morris said, noting that it’s “not common” for people to pay their rent to gang members.

The city of Aurora also posted a long message on X hours later, saying: “A lot of misleading information has been spread about what is happening in our city.”

“Aurora is a safe community. The media has mixed and greatly exaggerated incidents limited to a handful of problem properties. Yes, we are concerned that there is a small Tren de Aragua (TdA) presence in Aurora and we take it seriously,” the post said. “We have responded. We have made arrests. We will continue to make arrests. We will continue to address the problems that the absentee, out-of-town owners of these properties have allowed to fester unchecked. Aurora will aggressively pursue all actions available under city and criminal laws.”

Johnston added that Tren de Aragua’s presence in Denver is smaller than “that of many other organized criminal networks that may have been here for decades,” but said he is “monitoring the situation closely.”

On August 30, Governor Jared Polis said Colorado is “a state with zero tolerance for illegal activity,” adding, “Building takeovers have no place in Colorado, and I am confident the City of Aurora shares this core value and will enforce the law when it is violated there.”