El Paso Hotel Faces Closure After 693 Police Calls, Allegations of Gang Activity
The Gateway Hotel in downtown El Paso faces imminent closure after racking up a staggering 693 police calls in just two years, raising serious concerns about illegal and gang-related activity at the property, Fox News reports.
The El Paso County Attorney’s Office has issued both temporary and permanent injunctions against the hotel, citing “habitual criminal activity” that violates local ordinances. The complaint marks a disturbing pattern of police reports indicating prostitution, drug use, gang activity, and illegal dumping, all contributing to a “blight” on the downtown area.
The most alarming discovery, according to the county attorney, came on August 23 when police documented the presence of the transnational gang Tren de Aragua within the hotel. An officer’s note describes witnessing Venezuelans cooking in their rooms, despite fire marshal warnings against it, and observing a man with a tattoo consistent with the Tren de Aragua gang.
The Gateway Hotel has been operating without a valid certificate of occupancy for the past six years, violating El Paso city regulations. The property, built in 1903, has failed multiple fire inspections since July and has received scathing reviews on Yelp, describing it as a “filthy, drug, and bug infested, fire-trap.”
Further evidence of the hotel’s troubled state surfaced in a June 2024 aggravated assault case, where a video captured a chaotic scene on the third floor, showcasing “deplorable conditions” with dozens of people engaging in “partying,” drinking, smoking, and dancing provocatively, even in the presence of children. The video also shows at least one instance of a firearm being discharged, as well as men wielding knives and a hatchet, assaulting people and causing damage to the hotel.
The discovery of Tren de Aragua activity at the Gateway Hotel mirrors a growing trend of building takeovers across Colorado by the Venezuelan-based gang. Tren de Aragua, with aroud 5,000 members, is notorious for its involvement in drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and illegal firearms possession. Some members operating in the United States are undocumented immigrants.
