The claim: Aurora, Colorado, shelter-in-place order was related to Venezuelan gang activity
A Sept. 5 Facebook post ( direct link , archive link ) includes an image of an Aurora Police Department SUV with text that reads “shelter in place.”
“Didn’t the feckless governor say the Venezuelan gang issues were all made up? But now the citizens have to shelter in place?” the post reads.
It was shared more than 600 times in a week. Another version of the claim spread widely on X, formerly Twitter.
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Our rating: False
The shelter-in-place order was issued to residents in an area where police were working to arrest a wanted felon. A department spokesperson said the order was not related to gang activity.
Order didn’t apply to apartment complex at center of speculation
The claim came amid reports of Venezuelan gang activity at an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado.
While city officials have said there is a “small Tren de Aragua presence in Aurora,” interim Aurora Police Chief Heather Morris said in August that The Edge at Lowry Apartments had not been “taken over” by gang members, USA TODAY reported . Tren de Aragua is a large criminal organization from Venezuela.