With just weeks to go until the 2024 U.S. presidential election, former President Donald Trump baselessly claimed during a Sept. 25 speech in North Carolina that Venezuelan migrant gang members in Aurora, Colorado, possessed "massive machine gun-type equipment," adding that the weaponry goes "beyond even military scope." He also said, "And they're taking over apartment buildings. They're taking over real estate."
As of this writing, we uncovered no evidence to support the idea of Venezuelan migrants in Aurora bearing "massive machine gun-type equipment" or anything regarding weaponry "beyond even military scope."
By email, Sydney Edwards, a spokesperson for the Aurora Police Department, said of the claims of migrants supposedly possessing "massive" weaponry and taking over apartment buildings: "We do not have any reports or information that relate to the claims you mention."
We also emailed the Trump campaign to request evidence regarding Trump's "massive machine gun-type equipment" comment. In response, a Republican National Committee spokesperson sent a brief statement that did not address our request.
We previously reported about unsubstantiated rumors relating to Trump's reference of gang members taking over apartment complexes in Aurora (details below).
'Massive Machine Gun-Type Equipment'
Trump made the remarks in question during a campaign event in Mint Hill, North Carolina. He said the following:
But Kamala should have closed the border years ago and we wouldn't have hostile takeovers of Springfield, Ohio, Aurora, Colorado, where they're actually going in with massive machine gun-type equipment. They're going in with guns that are beyond even military scope. And they're taking over apartment buildings. They're taking over real estate. They're in the real estate development business. Congratulations. These are… in that case, people from Venezuela. Young street gang members that were sent here by the Venezuelan government.
Video of Trump's comments showed the former president appearing to specifically refer to Aurora, Colorado — not Springfield, Ohio — with his mention of migrants having "massive machine gun-type equipment" supposedly "beyond even military scope."
The quote begins at the 2:14:55 mark in the following YouTube video captured by Right Side Broadcasting Network:
Trump provided no evidence for the additional baseless claim that either city experienced a "hostile takeover." He previously falsely claimed during an interview with conservative Fox News host Sean Hannity, "Take a look at Aurora. In Colorado, where Venezuelans are taking over the whole town." Moments later, Trump added an oft-repeated campaign promise, saying, "We have to do the largest deportation in the history of the country."
The former president's mention of Springfield stood as a continuation of similar evidence-free assertions about reports of Haitian migrants eating cats, dogs and other animals. He also mentioned this same wholly-unsupported rumor about Springfield at the Sept. 10 ABC News presidential debate.
We called Springfield city officials and the town's nonemergency police line. Both lines kept ringing; no one answered. In the aftermath of the promotion of the baseless rumors about Haitian migrants, Springfield schools received numerous bomb threats. NBC News reported Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine attributed the bomb threats as coming from "overseas."
Rumor Originating from Aurora Security Camera Video
We previously reported the facts about the unsubstantiated rumor claiming members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua took over an apartment complex in Aurora. A security camera video posted online in late August was central to the rumor. The video showed several men knocking on a resident's door while holding handguns and at least one rifle with a scope attachment.
According to The Associated Press, interim Aurora police chief Heather Morris' visit to the same apartments where the security camera video originated confirmed gang members had not taken over, nor were they collecting rent.
The AP reported:
The unsubstantiated allegation gained momentum following last month's dissemination of video from a resident in the complex that showed armed men knocking on an apartment door, intensifying fears the Tren de Aragua gang was in control of the six-building complex.
However, city officials indicate the buildings, along with two other apartment complexes, were run down because of neglect by the property manager, CBZ Management.
Aurora is a diverse city that has long grappled with crime and gangs, and police said they have so far linked 10 people to Tren de Aragua and arrested six of them, including the suspects in a July attempted homicide.