El Paso’s Gateway Hotel was temporarily shut down by a state judge after the hotel owner was accused by the El Paso County Attorney’s Office of illegally operating the hotel and allowing criminal activity, including housing members of the Tren de Aragua gang.
Judge Maria Salas-Mendoza of the 120th District Court granted a temporary injunction Monday, Sept. 9, shutting down the hotel until a hearing is held Monday, Dec. 9, to determine if the hotel owner violated state laws and allowed criminal activities on the property, El Paso County Attorney’s Office officials said.
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The El Paso County Attorney’s Office filed a lawsuit Aug. 27, alleging the owner of the Gateway Hotel, located at 104 S. Stanton St. in Downtown El Paso, of operating without a valid certificate of occupancy since 2018.
The El Paso Police Department has received 693 police calls for service related to criminal activities, including assaults, gang involvement, and suspected prostitution, the lawsuit states.
The defendants in the lawsuit are the Gateway Hotel, Gigante Enterprises LLC, and Howard “Danny” Yun, the owner of both.
Yun could not immediately be reached for comment.
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Despite restoration efforts by Yun, the hotel has failed multiple fire inspections and has become a hotspot for criminal activity, the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit seeks a permanent injunction to halt the hotel’s operations until long-term remedies are made to address the persistent issues at the property.
Criminal allegations made in lawsuit against El Paso hotel
The lawsuit claims El Paso Police Department officers raised concerns over criminal activity and safety hazards at the hotel.
The hotel has become a hub for suspected gang activity, particularly members of the Venezuelan criminal organization Tren de Aragua, El Paso Police Department officers wrote in affidavits.
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During an inspection, officers observed several violations, including an inoperative elevator, unstable stairwells and fire exits blocked by trash. Despite these issues, management claimed that the people behind the front desk, who were not in uniform, were employees.
The affidavits highlighted concerns about possible prostitution and an increase in criminal incidents since the arrival of Tren de Aragua gang members at the hotel.
The officers claimed hotel management has not attempted to control illegal activity, allowing drug use, gang activity, and illegal dumping to persist, the affidavit states. The officers warned that the establishment poses a significant threat to public safety if these conditions continue.
Elon Musk comments about Venezuelan gang image: Mad Max is becoming real fast
The Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua has made national headlines in the last few months after gang members allegedly took over a housing complex in Aurora, Colorado. However, the Aurora Police Department denied the gang has control of the housing complex, the USA Today reported.
News of the Tren de Aragua gang in El Paso has also made headlines, with several high-profile figures, including Elon Musk, sharing it on social media. Musk reposted an image of the alleged gang in a hotel, captioning it, “Mad Max is becoming real fast.”
History of El Paso’s Gateway Hotel
The Gateway Hotel opened in 1928 after being converted from an office building by Trost & Trost, the famed El Paso architectural firm headed by the late, prolific and iconic Henry Trost, according to the building’s history written for the El Paso Public Library and posted on the Henry Trost Historical Organization’s website.
The hotel’s exterior was in a scene shot for 2004’s “Glory Road” movie about Texas Western College’s 1966 national basketball championship team. The hotel was also in 1972’s “The Getaway,” starring the late actor Steve McQueen.
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The previous operator of the hotel, Song U. Chon, was convicted in federal court in 2011 of money laundering and a scheme to smuggle into the United States thousands of undocumented immigrants, many of whom were housed at the hotel over several years. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Aaron Martinez may be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @AMartinezEPT. El Paso Times reporters Aaron Bedoya and Vic Kolenc contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Gateway Hotel shut down over alleged Tren de Aragua gang activity
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