678 Unit Apartment Complex Forced To Close After Being Taken Over By Tren De Aragua
A massive apartment complex in San Antonio is being forced into foreclosure after the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua took over the complex, destroyed the property and rented rooms out to illegal migrants.
According to the owner of the 678-unit Palatia apartments, the illegal migrant gang members broke into hundreds of apartments, damaged the property, plagued the complex with crime and gang activity and rented apartments to illegal migrants, pocketing the cash.
John Barker saying the illicit activity has been happening for at least a year with multiple apartments being lived in by illegal migrants who had left the migrant center or airport shelter.
He says the city’s migrant policies and police response caused the demise of his business.
Barker saying, “They had their own leases they were signing with these residents, with these migrants they were bringing in, taking their money and breaking into their units.”
Barker says he begged the city to do something, but an assistant city attorney refused to help,
“He said verbatim to me, we refuse to acknowledge there’s a migration issue and if there’s any issues on site, that you’re having to deal with, that’s on you.”
Barker says by the time the San Antonio police Department raided the complex last October, arresting 19 people including four Tren de Aragua members, 60 percent of the units were damaged or vacant.
Repairs were so extensive and costly he’s now being forced to give the property back to the bank saying,
“We spent a lot of money trying to bring this thing back but we’re just past the point of return.”
