Illegal immigrants try to board California school buses as Denver suburb deals with armed Venezuelan gangs

A sheriff’s office in Southern California is investigating a series of incidents where illegal immigrants allegedly attempted to board school buses, in one instance blocking the road.  

At the same time, a Denver suburb is dealing with armed gangs from Venezuela that are allegedly taking over apartment complexes “block by block,” according to a local council member. 

The chaos led one prominent legislator to warn of Denver becoming a “lawless region” if law enforcement doesn’t act soon. 

In one of the California incidents, the bus maneuvered around the alleged hijackers and drove to the next stop. 

In the other West coast incident, parents reportedly prevented the hijackers from boarding the bus and assisted students on to the bus safely. 

In an email obtained by local Fox 5 Newsfrom the Jamul-Dulzura Union School District, Superintendent Liz Bystedt told parents the incidents occurred on two separate bus routes. 

“We have been in contact with Border Patrol, the Sheriff’s Office, and CHP throughout the day,” Bystedt wrote. “In addition, multiple news organizations and Representative Daryl Issa’s office have reached out.”   

The superintendent said the district will “continue to work with law enforcement.” 

The Fox affiliate reported that bus drivers have been ordered not to stop for migrants. If migrants are sighted at bus stops, the drivers are to proceed to the next stop without picking up students. 

Parents have been asked to “stay vigilant” and to take their students to the next scheduled stop if the bus driver refuses to stop because of illegal immigrants, reported Fox. 

“The San Diego Sheriff’s Office was made aware of this incident today. We are conducting a follow up investigation to determine if a criminal act has occurred,” a Sheriff’s spokesperson said in a statement. “The Sheriff’s Office takes issues regarding student safety very seriously and are working with the school district in order to keep the students and our community safe.” 

Since February, social media users have been documenting the release of illegal immigrants, mostly healthy adult males, by Border Patrol onto the streets of San Diego.  

In June, activists who are demanding the Biden-Harris administration secure the border shared a video on X showing around 40 military-aged males being dumped from a bus on Iris Avenue in San Diego, after Biden signed an executive order that he claimed stopped the practice. 

The news comes amid reports of armed gangs from Venezuela occupying at least one apartment complex in suburban Denver. 

Video on X reveals men armed with pistols and rifles stalking the hallways and checking doors in one Aurora complex. 

“They are going block by block, they are going apartment complex by apartment complex, they are taking it over, and I think the city doesn’t know how to handle it,” Aurora Council Member Danielle Jurinsky, told the Aurora Sentinel about the gang infiltration. 

The gang, known as Tren de Aragua (TdA) has been accused of violent crimes across the U.S., including the murder of nursing student Laken Riley in Georgia and the shooting of two NYPD cops in June, said the New York Post.  

“Leaders of the gang recently gave the ‘green light’ for members to shoot American cops who try to interfere with their criminal activity,” The Post reports. 

The city itself seems to be in denial.  

“We are aware that components of TdA are operating in Aurora. APD has been increasingly collecting evidence to show the gang is connected to crimes in the area,” city spokesperson Ryan Luby said in a statement to the Sentinel.  

Requests for comments by The Lion to Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman and the Mayor Pro Tem Dustin Zvonek were not returned by publication time. 

But one Colorado state legislator warned that unless police are allowed to do their job and enforce the law soon, it could be increasingly difficult to combat crime.  

“The altruism of sanctuary cities has been met with the selfishness of violent plunder,” state Senator Mark Baisley, a Republican, told The Lion. “If common sense law enforcement does not step in swiftly and with overwhelming force, Denver Metro will become a lawless region for a very long time.”