Sixteen illegal immigrants are in federal custody after taking part in an attack against an immigrant couple, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
ICE agents based in Denver took custody of the illegal immigrants after they were arrested by local authorities following the Dec. 16 attack in a suburb of the city, a spokesperson for ICE told The Epoch Times in an email on Dec. 19.
All of the 16 illegal aliens are Venezuelan nationals, and are suspected of being members of or associated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which now has a presence in multiple states.
“They will remain in ICE custody pending removal proceedings or hearings before an immigration judge,” the spokesperson said.
The Aurora Police Department made the arrests after the couple told the police they were attacked.
Chamberlain said both the perpetrators and the victims are likely in the country illegally and that the attack was definitely gang-related.
Aurora police officers arrested 19 people in connection with the attack.
Three of the individuals were released late on Dec. 18 “after they were interviewed and it was determined they were not involved in the incident,” a spokesperson for the Aurora Police Department told The Epoch Times via email. He confirmed that the remaining 16 suspects are in ICE custody.
Chamberlain said that his department is working with federal authorities, in contrast to some other cities, including Denver, that decline to hand over illegal immigrant detainees.
The attack is the latest crime to unfold at a building that has dealt with a series of crimes linked to gang activity.
City officials have moved to have the apartment complex in which the building is located closed, alleging that the owner, CBZ Management, has neglected the property.
CBZ Management said earlier in the year that it had withdrawn from some of the buildings in the complex after being threatened by Tren de Aragua members who had taken them over.
