DENVER — One of the apartments at the center of Wednesday's federal operation had been on the City of Denver's radar as a crime hotspot.
Just after 7 a.m. Wednesday, people were taken from Cedar Run Apartments in handcuffs as part of a Denver metro-wide federal operation.
Denver7 Investigates' Natalie Chuck, who was first at the scene Wednesday, said detainees were apparently escorted to a bus parked outside the complex. She saw U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agents going into the building yelling, "We have a warrant" in full gear.
The owner of the Cedar Run Apartments told Denver7 Investigates that issues began after the city "assigned" immigrants to live at the complex.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the property owners, Gelt Venture Partners, said they were "approached about 18 months ago by Denver officials to help with the immigration crisis."
"Through the city’s program, we were assigned a number of people to our apartment complex and paid for their move in fees and several months’ rent," the spokesperson wrote. "However, our attempt to help the city has resulted in numerous challenges, including suspected gang activity, unpaid rent and widespread, significant damage throughout our complex."
- Read Gelt Ventura Partners' full statement below
"We were approached about 18 months ago by Denver officials to help with the immigration crisis in the city. Through the city’s program, we were assigned a number of people to our apartment complex and paid for their move in fees and several months’ rent. However, our attempt to help the city has resulted in numerous challenges, including suspected gang activity, unpaid rent and widespread, significant damage throughout our complex.
Given current housing regulations and eviction policies, addressing these issues has been extremely difficult. We have maintained frequent, if not continuous, communication with varies city departments, working tirelessly to address the issues together. Unfortunately, despite our efforts, we have yet to reach a resolution with the city. The ongoing challenges on the property stem from a few problematic residents, creating a frustrating cycle where our attempts to mitigate issues are repeatedly undermined by damage and mistreatment. This has left our management team exhausted and disheartened. Nevertheless, we remain hopeful about finding a long-term solution that benefits both the city and our community.
Our top priority remains the safety and well-being of our residents, and we welcome any support in tackling violent crime. We are particularly concerned for the law-abiding members of our community who are affected by these events and are committed to assisting them in any way we can. We want to assure the community that we are complying with all legal government orders while also respecting the privacy of those who call our community home. Cedar Run Apartments does not discriminate against any applicant or resident for any reason, including immigration status, and no personal information will be shared with the media or any unauthorized parties."
A City of Denver spokesperson denied most of the claims in a response to Denver7 Investigates.
"18 months ago, the city was providing only emergency shelter and was not funding nonprofits to provide either rental assistance or case management. We do not believe city dollars were utilized as housing support at this property and we have never asked an apartment complex to cover the cost of deposit or rent," the spokesperson wrote.
The spokesperson said the city has worked with the complex for 10 months to reduce crime in the area.
- Read the full statement from the City of Denver below
"Denver has spent the last ten months working to reduce crime in the area of this apartment complex, resulting in reported violent gun crime falling by more than half since March 2024.
18 months ago, the city was providing only emergency shelter and was not funding nonprofits to provide either rental assistance or case management. We do not believe city dollars were utilized as housing support at this property and we have never asked an apartment complex to cover the cost of deposit or rent.
We are committed to working with all residents and businesses in our city to ensure our city is the safest in the country."
Denver7 Investigates has been looking into the Cedar Run Apartments for weeks after tenants came forward with concerns about conditions at the complex and a lack of response from the landlord.
In an open records request, Denver7 Investigates obtained correspondence between Denver City Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer and Gelt Ventures' chief investment officer. That correspondence included an email Sawyer forwarded to Gelt from Denver Fire Chief Desmond Fulton, detailing an investigation into allegations made online by the group Do Better Denver. A social media post alleged that firefighters were being met and escorted around Cedar Run by members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA).
In the email, Denver Fire Chief Fulton debunked those claims but said firefighters had been watched and followed by men at the complex. However, they were not interfered with on the scene, according to the fire chief. He also noted that the firefighters in the area had not had any negative interactions with TdA.
Fulton said the Denver Police Department flagged several addresses for Denver Fire and noted that crews could stage and wait for officers to arrive if called to those areas.
Outside the complex early Wednesday, Chuck talked with Hannah Stickline, a 14-year resident of the complex, about her experience during the federal law enforcement operation.
“First, I woke up to a message in our chat group saying that cops were going door to door, banging," Stickline told Denver7. "And then just a few minutes later, I got a bang on my door and it was ICE. It was about six of them. They were all heavily armed and demanding ID from me and asking me to snitch on my neighbors.”
- Hear directly from Hannah Stickline in our interview below
Chuck observed a group of immigration advocates across the street from the complex, who were using megaphones to communicate with residents inside. The group chanted, "Do not open your doors" and "Do not answer their questions."
“I was expecting this to happen, and not just because we do have immigrants here, but because this place has a reputation and its name has been put out there as a dangerous place, which it isn’t," Stickline said.
The Drug Enforcement Administration's Rocky Mountain Division said there have been three fentanyl deaths at the complex in the last month. Stickline told Denver7 that "immigrants are not the issue" at the building.
“It is the conditions and it is an absent landlord, which is why we are now in this situation — because we have someone who clearly doesn’t care about the property or tenants,” she said.
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At least 1 TdA member arrested in federal operation targeting the gang in Denver
This was one of four immigration enforcement operations at at least four Denver metro area locations on Wednesday. Denver7 also learned an ICE operation took place at the now-infamous Edge of Lowry apartments in Aurora, one in a set of derelict properties that have been in the spotlight amid a months-long controversy over the presence of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua in the city.
Federal sources told Denver7 Investigates they had obtained warrants for all of Wednesday's operations.
“What I want people to know is that I love my immigrant neighbors and this is all caused by a negligent absentee landlord who is using these poor people as a scapegoat because he does not want to take care of his own property,” Stickline said.
A Denver city source said Denver PD carried out a search warrant as part of a task force Wednesday morning. No arrests were made. They said the city was not made aware of the federal action on Wednesday.
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