Police in Aurora, Colorado, have announced that formal charges were filed against nine suspects in a December kidnapping at a local apartment.

Aurora Police Department Chief Todd Chamberlain in December said officers responded to The Edge at Lowry Apartments after receiving a call that two residents were “accosted” by several individuals. That complex is notably the same site some claimed was taken over by armed Venezuelan gang members in September.

Several individuals, he said, took the residents to another building against their will and “terrorized” them while others looted their apartment.

“They were pistol-whipped, they were beat, they were mistreated,” Chamberlain said of the victims. “So does that fall in the category of torture for me? Yeah, it does.”

Chamberlain said at the time authorities involved believed at least some suspects were likely members of transnational criminal gang Tren de Aragua.

Nine suspects ranging from 20 to 31 years old received multiple charges Monday, including second-degree kidnapping, first-degree assault, aggravated robbery, second-degree burglary, extortion and menacing. The department also said it obtained arrest warrants for three additional suspects who are not currently in custody.

“A total of 19 people were detained during the preliminary investigation,” officers wrote. “The remaining 16 suspects are being held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which includes the nine suspects charged last week in Arapahoe District Court. The additional seven suspects in ICE custody remain under investigation for the Dec. 17, 2024, kidnapping.”

Police are offering up to $2,000 in reward money for anyone who can provide information relevant to the investigation.

President-elect Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, last month called on Chamberlain to accept the support of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in the case.

“So, he’s talking the talk, but let’s hope he walks the walk and hands these people to ICE when he’s done with them because we can remove them not only from the community but from the country,” Homan said in an interview on Fox News. “And if law enforcement officers don’t help us do that, we’re certainly going to do that starting January 21st.”

Homan also called on city leaders to meet with him to address threats posed by illegal migrants who commit violent crimes.

“I’ll meet with anybody because this is about public safety and national security,” Homan said. “So let’s meet, let’s work together. You don’t have to be immigration officers. We’ll do that. But be cops. Be law enforcement. Be elected representatives for your community.”

“Love your community a little more than you hate Trump,” he added.

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