Aurora, Colorado Mayor Mike Coffman announced on Friday that the city is starting the process of clearing the apartment buildings where transnational armed gang Tren de Aragua has taken over.

In a statement posted to Facebook, Coffman shared “the Aurora City Attorney’s Office is preparing court documents to request an emergency court order to clear the apartment buildings where Venezuelan gang activity has been occurring by declaring the properties a ‘Criminal Nuisance.’”

“This will require a municipal judge to issue the order with the goal of getting these properties back under the control of the property owners. In the meantime, the law enforcement task force set up to disrupt and arrest Venezuelan gang members in these buildings will continue its operation. I strongly believe that the best course of action is to shut these building[s] down and make sure that this never happens again,” concluded Coffman.

One has already been picked up. In an email to Fox News Digital, Aurora Police Department confirmed that Tren de Aragua leader “Cookie Monster” is currently in custody in relation to a shooting on July 28.

Fox 31 reports that the men seen in the video that has gone viral are armed members of the Tren de Aragua gang, according to Department of Homeland Security sources.

FORMER COLORADO APARTMENT RESIDENT SAYS GOV. POLIS ‘WOULDN’T LAST FIVE MINUTES’ AGAINST ARMED GANGS

The move to apprehend the armed Venezuelan gang members comes after a blitz of national media attention on the city of Aurora thanks to the efforts of Council Member Danielle Jurinsky. 

After assisting residents Cindy and Edward Romero on Wednesday, they were able to share a video which has since gone viral online and on the air.

Jurinsky was soon featured on the Ingraham Angle telling the Romeros’ story, and Cindy Romero joined America Reports on Friday to bring attention to the problem.

Colorado Governor Jared Polis has come under fire for his handling of the situation, including from Romero herself, saying the Democrat “wouldn’t last five minutes” in the building. His spokesperson, Shelby Weiman, told the New York Post on Thursday that the issue was “largely a feature of Danielle Jurinsky’s imagination.”

After a request for comment from Fox News Digital in response to Romero’s statement on America Reports, the governor’s office responded by saying “Colorado is a zero-tolerance state for illegal activity.”

COLORADO CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FIRES BACK AFTER GOVERNOR’S OFFICE DISMISSES ARMED GANG TAKEOVER AS ‘IMAGINATION’

“The Governor hopes that the city of Aurora shares this basic value and will enforce the law. Over the last month, Governor Polis has been in regular contact with the City of Aurora and the Aurora Police Department and has offered all state assistance to support their efforts if requested,” said spokeswoman Shelby Wieman. 

“If Danielle Jurinsky has evidence of illegal activity in Aurora that can assist the investigation, it might even be illegal for her to withhold it from the Aurora Police Department and she should file a report immediately. The state has been ready for weeks to back up any operation by the Aurora Police Department needed to make Aurora safer,” the statement concluded.

Colorado’s capital and largest city, Denver, is a sanctuary city. Aurora is a suburb of Denver. 

Jurinsky noted she isn’t the only local official speaking out, though the governor’s office singles her out in statements. “There’s other council members speaking out on this, like there’s other council members speaking, and they just don’t have the platform that I do to really catch fire. But there are other council members speaking out. It’s not just me,” said Jurinsky in a call with Fox News Digital.

Polis’ office did not respond to a request to clarify whether the governor’s statement was intended to threaten Jurinsky.

Jurinsky celebrated in a call with Fox News Digital, saying “I am happy that what I have been saying is now confirmed. It is a shame that people had to suffer for as long as they did, but I am happy that this gang will now be addressed.”

Aurora City Council member Danielle Jurinsky moved out several residents from one taken over apartment building on Wednesday. (Danielle Jurinsky)

“I hope that in the future, I will be taken more seriously and heard the first time I bring something to someone’s attention. Aurora is my hometown and well worth the fight! Thank you to all of the police officers and residents who helped me bring this to light,” Jurinsky added.

It is unclear when exactly the armed gang members will be apprehended and the buildings will be cleared. 

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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Denver did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Officials in Aurora have begun to acknowledge the presence of Venezuelan gang activity in their Colorado city after the release of a terrifying surveillance video.

For Cindy Romero, living at 12th Avenue and Dallas Street has become a daily struggle against escalating violence and neglect. Life deteriorated into a nightmarish ordeal, marked by frequent encounters with crime and what she calls a lack of support from the city and police.

She first noticed a gradual increase in crime in her part of the Denver metro area about a year-and-a-half ago. It got worse over the last three months.

“We were constantly forced to take measures to protect ourselves,” Romero said. “I installed more locks, bought additional cameras, and parked further away from the building. Despite all these efforts, the situation kept escalating. We felt like we were being tortured.”

She reported seeing people move automatic weapons and engage in shootouts.

“I’ve seen handguns, rifles with scopes, and other firearms. It got so bad that bullets even went through my friend’s apartment and hit my car,” Romero said.

Despite frequent calls to 911, the police response was nearly nonexistent.

“The police would call me and say they weren’t coming unless it was a severe crime,” Romero said. “When I called the police to report a shooting, one officer asked if I had considered moving. If I could have afforded to leave, I would have.”

Romero installed multiple cameras that captured violent activity over weeks. Doorbell video shows a group of armed men forcing their way into her neighbor’s home. Another night, her camera outside captured two men approaching a vehicle with guns drawn.

Romero criticized city officials for their failure to address the problem.

“You are elected to protect your constituents. You fundraise off your promises, yet you left us to die,” she said.

After a shootout on Aug. 18 Romero was driven to desperation. And this week, her pleas for help were finally answered. By Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky.

“Jurinsky was the only one who really took an interest in our safety and worked to find solutions. It meant a lot to have someone genuinely concerned,” Romero said.

Jurinsky helped her move out and find other housing.

“I went in myself to help people move out. There was a large police presence, and at one point, a gentleman charged up the stairs after me,” Jurinsky said. “It was an eerie feeling. Even as I was helping people move out, others were moving in right in front of me.”

Jurinsky first became aware of the escalating gang activity shortly after a large gathering in Aurora related to the Venezuelan election.

“People were saying that individuals were patrolling their properties with guns and walking through their buildings. They called the police repeatedly, but the response was lacking,” Jurinsky said.

 According to her, police leadership had instructed officers that a minimum of three to four officers were needed to respond to such situations. If those numbers weren’t available, officers were told not to respond.

The council member expressed frustration about being one of the few voices raising awareness about the issue.

She says politics is being played with people’s lives.

“There’s human suffering on the other side of some of these doors and these apartment complexes, but there’s a big election coming up, and nobody wants to talk about this. Because if they start talking about this, someone has to admit there’s a problem somewhere,” she said.

On Wednesday, Aurora police said they’re aware that components of TdA are operating in Aurora.

In a statement, APD says in part:

“It would be improper at this time for the city and APD to make any conclusory statements about specific incidents or provide details about law enforcement strategy and operations. Based on our initial investigative work, we believe reports of TdA influence in Aurora are isolated.”

In response to the release of Romero’s video footage, Jurinsky hopes it will bring action.

“The footage is too real to deny,” she said. “There has to be something done now.”

Romero says she survived the ordeal by staying quiet, giving them food and bedbug spray.

Every night, she said she was praying she’d hear sirens.

In her new home, far away, the peace she feels is fleeting. Because for many others, she says there is no escape, no solution and no sign that help will ever come.

“My family lives in Aurora. My daughters live there. I talked them into moving to Aurora. If someone doesn’t do something now, their apartments are next,” she said.

The city and Aurora police established a special task force to address concerns about Venezuelan gang activity.

APD urges all community members, including members of our migrant communities, to please report crimes committed against them to their local law enforcement agencies and not remain silent victims. Crime victims can report crimes anonymously by calling Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720.913.STOP (7867). As always, information could change as the investigations continue at the local, state and federal levels.