Colorado state Representative Scott Bottoms, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, claimed that the Venezuelan transnational criminal gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) has 45,000 to 50,000 members operating in Colorado.

This figure is implausible, as it would be roughly ten times the estimated global membership of the gang according to the National Counterterrorism Center.

Bottoms stated that his information came from direct conversations with ICE officials; however, ICE spokesperson Steve Kotecki clarified that HSI Denver and ERO Denver leadership have never met or spoken with Bottoms.

More than 40 county sheriffs across Colorado, including both Republican and independent officials, publicly rejected his claims and refused to support his proposal to deputize special forces veterans to combat gangs.Local law enforcement emphasized that there is no evidence of Venezuelan cartel activity in their jurisdictions.

These claims are part of a broader trend of conspiracy theories regarding foreign gangs in Colorado, which have circulated since at least 2024 and have repeatedly been debunked by authorities.Bottoms’ statements have drawn widespread criticism for exaggeration and spreading misinformation.