FACT CHECK: Viral Instagram Post Falsely Claims Hells Angels Are En Route To Aurora, Colorado
A viral video shared on Instagram purports to show the Hells Angels en route to Aurora, Colorado amid claims that a Venezuelan gang has allegedly taken over a local apartment complex.
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Verdict: False
The video, which was originally shared on TikTok on July 7, appears to show a motorcycle event held in Brazil, not the Hells Angels. A spokesperson for the Aurora, Colorado Police Department denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
Men seen on surveillance footage attempting to enter an Aurora apartment complex are members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, according to local news outlet FOX31/KDVR, citing News Nation. The city’s Republican Mayor, Mike Coffman, has blamed the Biden-Harris administration’s “bad border policies” for the recent gang problem, the Christian Post reported.
The Instagram video, which has received over 11,000 likes as of writing, purports to show the Hells Angels en route to Aurora, Colorado amid claims that a Venezuelan gang has allegedly taken over a local apartment complex. The video is comprised of two short side-by-side clips. The first appears to show the motorcycle crew purportedly en route to Aurora, while the second appears to show the Venezuelan gang taking over the apartment complex.
The claim is false. A label on the clip of the motorcycle crew indicates it was originally posted on TikTok by user @robertoguedesjr on July 7, making it predate recent allegations that a Venezuelan gang has allegedly taken over an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado. Likewise, the Hells Angels are not referenced in the original TikTok video or its caption. Text overlay on the video shows the hashtag #bondepelavida, which appears to refer to a motorcycle event held in Brazil based on Instagram posts also using the hashtag.
@robertoguedesjr♬ La Grange (2019 Remaster) – ZZ Top
In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On September 2, Lead Stories reported the claim was false. (RELATED: No, The USS Eisenhower Was Not Targeted By The Houthis In August)
Furthermore, a spokesperson for the Aurora, Colorado Police Department denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
“Our Intelligence Unit has been looking into social media posts from this weekend and we do not believe the posts to be credible. We are continuing to monitor the situation,” the same spokesperson said.
Claims that a Venezuelan gang had taken over an apartment complex in Colorado surfaced after a surveillance video showing men with guns outside a local residence was released, according to CBS News.
