A hotel in downtown El Paso that is allegedly occupied by a Venezuelan gang was ordered temporarily shut down by a state judge on Monday.
The judge’s order came after the Gateway Hotel and its owner received a temporary injunction and restraining order from the El Paso County attorney on Monday over suspicions that the Venezuelan “Tren De Aragua” gang was engaging in criminal activity inside the hotel.
Tren de Aragua made national headlines a few weeks ago after gang members allegedly commandeered an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado. Police there have denied the gang controls the complex.
Court documents say that police reports show the Gateway Hotel in El Paso has regular criminal activity, and members of Tren De Aragua have been allowed to operate inside, according to sworn testimony from El Paso police officers.
One officer said police witnessed several Venezuelan men with tattoos associated with the gang walking around the hotel. Hotel management was not attempting to control the conduct of guests, the officer said.
At least 693 calls to police have been made about the hotel over the last two years, including for drugs, thefts, burglaries, and fights.
The court documents also accuse the hotel of operating for the past six years without a valid certificate of occupancy and in violation of city requirements, as well as failing at least three inspections by the El Paso Fire Department since July.
Security videos and pictures from the court documents also show people “partying” on the third floor, drinking, smoking, dancing provocatively, and one woman even apparently vomiting in a hallway with children around.
One video also shows a gun being shot, a person threatening someone with another gun, men holding knives, and a man with a hatchet assaulting people in front of a security guard.
One police officer said he suspected prostitution in the hotel. Police also described trash and fire hazards as well and said the general reputation of the hotel was for “allowing illegal activity (consuming drugs, gang activity, illegal dumping).”
A hearing is scheduled for December 9 to determine if hotel owner Howard Yun allowed criminal activity on the property.
The county attorney’s office sued the hotel last month and is seeking a permanent injunction to stop the hotel from operating until long-term solutions are in place.
The Gateway Hotel has been in downtown El Paso since the 1920s, although it has changed ownership.
The occupants of the hotel have until 10 a.m. on Thursday to vacate the building. It is unclear whether law enforcement will be required to evict those living in the hotel.
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