Viral claim about Venezuelan gang in Aurora appears to be a parody

AURORA, Colorado – Conservatives are seizing on a TikTok video that appears to satirize anti-migrant hysteria, suggesting it is further evidence that a Venezuelan gang is terrorizing Aurora.

Despite obvious signs that the video was a parody, it reached 3 million views when posted by a right-wing X account, and the claim was repeated on Tuesday by KOA talk show host Mandy Connell.

The TikTok video, posted on September 3, shows a rest area and a man's voice describing Venezuelan gang members extorting truckers for $50 to park overnight.

“Eighteen Venezuelans got out of the SUV,” the man said dryly.

The TikTok creator said he identified the men as Venezuelan gang members because they had the words “Venezuelan gang member” tattooed on their forearms.

As some TikTok users took the claim seriously, the creator responded in the comments that his post was a “skull thickness test” and a “frontal lobe function test.”

When one such user asked why he didn't call the police, the creator replied: “I couldn't make a phone call because I wasn't serious.”

The creator responded to a commenter's question about how 18 people fit in an SUV by saying, “So you don't think 18 people fit in an SUV?? THEY WERE NOT THAT BIG.”

The video gained popularity among conservatives when it was posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday by a right-wing meme account called “I Meme Therefore I Am.” By Wednesday, it had 3 million views and 26,000 reposts.

Conservative Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinksy, who has been most vocal in spreading the claims of a Venezuelan gang takeover in Aurora, responded to X: “I've heard about it. Crazy!”

After former President Donald Trump used the Sept. 9 presidential debate to repeat the claim that the city of Aurora had been taken over by a Venezuelan gang, city leaders and Aurora police released a joint statement saying the gang's influence was limited to a few properties.

Since the local presence of the Tren de Aragua gang was first confirmed in early August, Aurora police say they have identified ten suspected TdA members and arrested nine of them.

Aurora police said Wednesday that they have not received any reports of Venezuelan gang members threatening truckers. The TikTok creator did not immediately respond to a request for comment.