DENVER – A Venezuelan man, noted for allegedly being affiliated with the infamous Tren de Aragua gang, was apprehended on a bus in Denver on Tuesday. This arrest comes a month after the individual, detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on different charges, escaped from a Colorado detention facility during a power outage.
The 24-year-old, who was initially suspected of shoplifting and resisting arrest, had been in the custody of ICE since February. Authorities had connected him with the Tren de Aragua gang, which gained international infamy after being targeted in immigration policies by the previous U.S. administration.
Geilond Vido-Romero was located while traveling on Colfax Avenue, a major thoroughfare in Denver, according to the U.S. Marshals Service, which assisted in his capture. The agency identified him in a social media update as a potential associate of the gang.
Vido-Romero allegedly made his escape on March 18 from a privately run detention center in Aurora, Colorado, during a power failure that inadvertently opened the facility’s doors. In the same incident, Joel Gonzalez-Gonzalez, a Mexican national, also escaped and was later apprehended nearby in Adams County.
Despite inquiries, further details regarding Vido-Romero’s capture and his alleged gang connections have not been disclosed by U.S. Marshals representatives.
The 24-year-old had previously resided in an Aurora apartment complex notorious for its ties to the gang. This location was notably captured on video which circulated widely on social media, drawing significant attention during the presidential race. The gang’s members were later implicated in serious criminal acts, such as kidnapping and assault, within the complex in late December.
Vido-Romero’s initial arrest occurred on February 26 at Park Meadows Mall, where he reportedly fled from law enforcement in the parking area, as stated in an affidavit. He was accused of stealing a jacket and jewelry and was subsequently found in custody at the local jail by ICE, who arrested him on the spot.
Currently, no legal representation for Vido-Romero has been recorded for his ongoing legal proceedings.