The Venezuelan gangs taking over sections of Aurora, Colo., appear to be bypassing the MS-13 gangs with the levels of violence they are exhibiting, Ken Cuccinelli, a former deputy Department of Homeland Security secretary, told Newsmax Saturday.
"It is a very dangerous situation," Cuccinelli said on Newsmax's "America Right Now." "These are folks who will kill witnesses, judges, and prosecutors, just like we've seen in the banana republics to the south of us."
And Aurora is not getting help from state or federal government officials, said Cuccinelli.
"It's hard to rebut video footage of what's happening," he said. "This is a real serious threat."
Officials from Aurora admit there is a problem, but Mayor Mike Coffman told CBS News this week, after former President Donald Trump argued in his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, that claims that the city is being overrun are "grossly exaggerated."
"The impression is that the city was overrun, you know, by criminal gangs, by immigrants, and Venezuelan gangs, and certainly, that is not the case," he said.
Coffman, along with Aurora police, city council members, and the city manager issued a joint statement saying that the gangs' presence in the city is limited to specific properties and the matter has been being addressed for months.
Meanwhile, Harris is saying she has a border plan, including pushing for the border law that was voted down last year, but Cuccinelli pointed out that she has also said that her values have not changed.
"She thinks no more of the border than she ever did," said Cuccinelli. "She is counting on people who weren't paying attention in 2019, 2021, and 2022 to be fooled by her apparent interest in border security."
"This is a discussion aimed at low-information voters, who she hopes she can swing enough of to win the to win the race. It's really that simple," he said.
Cuccinelli also agrees with Trump's call to deport illegal immigrants, saying there is "no real alternative" to deporting people.
"If you're not willing to commit to do that, you're not committed to border security," he said. "Until that's happening, they will keep coming."
But the Democrats "talk in another direction because their policies are open border policies," said Cuccinelli. "They oppose the fundamental principles of America and part of their plan to undo them is to import people who will vote against them."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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