More than 100 immigrants detained after federal raid in Colorado Springs

The Guardian

27-04-2025

More than 300 law enforcement officers from at least 10 federal agencies raided an illegal after-hours nightclub in Colorado Springs early on Sunday, arresting more than 100 people authorities said were undocumented immigrants and seizing guns, cocaine, meth and pink cocaine.
More than a dozen active-duty military members were detailed as well, authorities said.
The federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) posted a video on X of the post-raid scene, with dozens of partygoers holding their hands up. Anther video showed dozens of people fleeing the building through its entrance after federal agents smashed a window.
The DEA Rocky Mountain division said agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), homeland security, the US army's criminal investigation division and the Colorado Springs police had joined the raid.
'200+ inside an underground nightclub in CO Springs had their illegal party upended this am,' the DEA posted. In a separate post, the agency's Rocky Mountain division added: 'Nothing good ever happens after 3 a.m.'
Jonathan Pullen, the DEA agent in charge, told reporters at a news conference that some detained service members were patrons while others were working as armed security guards at the underground nightclub.
Pullen said the nightclub had been under investigation for several months for alleged activities including drug trafficking, prostitution and 'crimes of violence'.
'When the cops showed up at the door, most of the drugs hit the floor,' Pullen said, adding: 'Colorado Springs is waking up to a safer community today.'
The pink cocaine, or tusi, that was reported to have been seized is a relatively novel drug often containing no cocaine but combinations such as ketamine and MDMA, methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl or some other combination of pink-dyed powders, according to the DEA.
Pam Bondi, the US attorney general, heralded the raid, saying on X: 'As we approach his 100 days in office @POTUS Trump's directive to make America safe again is achieving results!'
Colorado Springs is home to a number of military installations, including Cheyenne Mountain space force station and the headquarters of US space operations command.
Sunday's raid is the latest in DEA crackdown in the area this year. In January, a raid on a 'makeshift nightclub' in Adams county, near Denver, led to the arrests of 41 people living in the country illegally and another eight who were in the club.
David Olesky, a DEA special agent in charge, said at the time that an uptick in enforcement was due to a 'renewed sense of purpose' under the Trump administration.
Derek Maltz, the acting administrator of the DEA, told the ABC News affiliate Denver7 last month that Colorado is 'ground zero' for violent criminals in the US and is home to the 'command and control' of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
After Sunday's raid, the owner of the building where the party was held told Denver7 he had no idea an underground nightclub was operating on his property.
'I've never even seen a lot of trash in the parking lot to even suspect that anything like an after-hours nightclub is going on. So, it's pretty shocking,' Mike Moon said.
Moon said the space is usually rented out for birthdays, weddings and quinceañeras, and alcohol is not allowed to be served. 'It's written in their lease. They're not allowed to do any illegal activity,' he told the outlet.
In a statement, Colorado Springs' mayor, Yemi Mobolade, said the investigation and the execution of these warrants were 'the result of clear evidence of serious criminal conduct' and that residents deserved 'to live in a city where the rule of law is upheld and where illegal behavior is met with firm and decisive action'.