The Hells Angels did not send members to the US state of Colorado to fight a Venezuelan crime syndicate operating in the city of Aurora. The motorcycle club has denied such claims – circulating online using old videos – that they traveled to Aurora, with local police saying the posts were “not credible.”

“Hells Angels and Mongols are heading to Colorado to take down Venezuelan gang members!!” reads one caption from September 1, 2024. publish on TikTok with almost 900,000 views.

The same claim was circulating ON TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Reddit AND Download— in this in Spanish.

The claims are as followsOn August 30, Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman posted on Facebook in which he said: city ​​authorities will take legal action to close residential complexes due to reports of Venezuelan gang activity (archive here).

The story was picked up by national media, which what analysis showed to be an old film was broadcastabout showing people entering homes with handguns and other weapons, which links them to the Tren de Aragua (TdA), an international criminal organization engages in illegal activities, including human trafficking and money laundering.

The situation was further fueled by former President Donald Trump’s statement during a presidential debate that Aurora had been a victim of migrant violence.

“You look at Aurora, Colorado. They’re taking over cities. They’re taking over buildings. They’re moving in violently,” Trump said on Sept. 10.

But the residentsThe owners of the apartment complex have rejected accusations that the buildings have been taken over by gangs.

And Coffman issued a joint statement with city officials to address Tren de Aragua’s presence in the region, saying, “TdA has not ‘taken over’ the city. The exaggerated claims fueled by social media and select news organizations are simply not true. Again, TdA’s presence in Aurora is limited to specific properties that the city has been dealing with in various ways for months.” (archived here)

Aurora police have arrested 10 known members of a Venezuelan gang (archived here), while stating that the department believes that “reports of TdA influence in Aurora are isolated” (archive here).

Claims that biker gangs are heading to the city to oppose the Tren de Aragua are also false.

“Irresponsible narrative”

The Rockford, Illinois chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) posted Facebook statement who called the claims “lies” and said they “perpetuate a false and irresponsible narrative about HAMC in order to drive traffic and clicks.” (Archived Here)

“HAMC vehemently denies the basis and validity of these absolutely absurd and false claims,” the statement read. the statement reads. “HAMC does not engage in political issues outside of motorcycling and does not take a position on immigration or the presidential election.”

Local media and other fact-checking organizations reported The Hells Angels Rocky Mountain chapter — which covers most of Colorado — posted the same statement on Instagram. However, it is no longer available on the chapter profile (archived Here).

Aurora police spokesman Matthew Longshore also told AFP in an email on September 12 that the department believes claims that the Hells Angels and other motorcycle gangs have arrived in the city are “not credible.”

The US Department of Justice previously mixed up The Hells Angels engaged in numerous criminal enterprises, including murder, drug production, and illegal arms trafficking. In June 2024, federal agents arrested A six-person unit of a California motorcycle gang has been charged with kidnapping and robbery. (archive Here)

Unrelated footage

Social media accounts spreading false claims use several miscellaneous videos purportedly showing Hells Angels members traveling to Aurora.

AND keyframe search one clip reveals that it comes from video posted in March 2017 by another motorcycle club called Mongols — which was also connected Down many criminal conspiracies — during one of its annual events (archive Here, Here AND Here).

Another video posted online includes the name of the TikTok account that originally shared the video in November 2022 (archived here). It was later clarified that the clip was filmed at a charity event (archived here).

The third post on TikTok contains a compilation of footage that has been traced to two movies published over 10 years ago by Mongol Motorcycle Club (archive Here AND Here).

AFP debunks other false and misleading claims about the 2024 election Here.