Latest news with #DavidOlesky
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Yahoo
The 'unintended victim': a picture worth a thousand words
(COLORADO) — It's not often that you get to look behind the scenes of federal operations and what happens when agents encounter children. In an exclusive one-on-one interview with Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Olesky of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Rocky Mountain Field Division (DEA RMFD), FOX21's Sarah Ferguson unraveled the story behind a photo that will forever leave its mark on the heart and soul of the DEA. There is always a great story behind every picture, and this one is no exception. 'So last week, just like this week, our men and women are out there every single day pursuing this gang, that's TdA [Tren de Aragua],' Olesky said about the DEA RMFD operations that took place on Thursday, March 20, in Denver and Aurora. 'We ultimately ended up apprehending six individuals, one of them a confirmed TdA member, all of them Venezuelan nationals, and all of them were turned over to ICE ERO for potential deportation,' he said. Olesky said the operation also marked a significant arrest for the DEA and other federal agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), and the U.S. Marshals Service, just to name a few. 'One of the individuals, the confirmed TdA member that was apprehended, was affiliated with the Dallas Street Apartments, which has received national attention due to TdA's takeover of that apartment complex,' he said. 'We have been looking for him for months, and so, he was taken off the streets last week.' In total, three operations took place on Thursday, according to Olesky. 'At one of the locations, one of the females we apprehended, sadly but also shockingly, the drug that has been associated with TdA, has been this 'tusi,' or pink cocaine, and the woman we had contacted at this location had actually just snorted tusi and had it in her nose visibly as we apprehended her,' he said. It was the follow-up interview, though, that would shock agents even more. 'During the interview of this woman, she was talking about her five-year-old son that she was concerned about,' said Olesky. 'Throughout the course of our day, we had one more operation to complete, and our agents had apprehended one individual, and as they were about to take him away, he said there was a five-year-old kid inside the apartment complex.' Agents quickly went inside looking for the child. 'Our agents went in there… they actually thought he was dead, to be frank; he was sleeping in the back bedroom of this apartment in a known TdA, confirmed TdA member's place,' he said. 'Meanwhile, our agents were outside getting harassed by agitators and protestors who had shown up in Aurora basically fighting for us to release this known TdA member; they have no idea what's going on inside this apartment complex.' What struck Olesky even more was a photo captured inside the apartment. The photo showed the child, or the unintended victim, being comforted by an agent, who sat by his side playing video games—a light to a very dark day. 'You have this guy with his tactical gear and his vest on, taking care of business in terms of enforcement, but also showing the heart that our agents have and caring for someone like this and being able distinguish when to turn it on and when to turn it off and I am just so proud of the team that was out there,' Olesky said. Over the next three to four hours, the child was cared for by agents, according to Olesky. 'We had personnel out on the streets as well to protect our agents and ultimately found a caretaker [for the child], facilitated by both ICE ERO but then also by the mother, who happened to be the mother from the first location earlier in the day.' Inside the apartment complex, according to Olesky, was also drug paraphernalia, posing an even greater threat to the most vulnerable. 'Here in the state of Colorado, we have had a number of infant deaths and kid deaths due to fentanyl and drug overdoses,' he said. 'These are the type of folks that are reckless in their conduct, and if you think that that TdA member cares for you as a Coloradan, or as an American, or as his neighbors in the community—look at how he was caring for this five-year-old kid.' Olesky said that when they encounter children, like the little boy on Thursday, it makes him angry. 'I've got kids; it makes me so mad because when the agents got in there, they thought he was dead and then I saw the photo of the mom who has tusi up her nose and then here we are getting harassed, so to see this young boy and to see that he's calm and that he's relaxed there with the agents, hopefully because of the work that our agents did that day he will have a better path ahead of him.' Knowing that this little boy was saved from this situation is what Olesky said he is grateful for and wants everyone to understand the threat that pink cocaine and other drugs pose, especially to children. Olesky further elaborated on what pink cocaine actually is and why it is so dangerous. 'It's such a combination of different drugs; it could be ketamine, MDMA, cocaine, as I said; there's no ingredient list on these things, it's actually a very expensive drug, a few thousand dollars per ounce,' he said. '[And so] when we see this particular drug, typically right now, the one mainly trafficking it is this Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua.' Taking criminals off the streets and saving the most vulnerable is what Olesky said he and his agents continue to pursue day in and day out. 'It does reaffirm, it does motivate; to see, on one hand, this individual be held accountable for his conduct, while simultaneously showing compassion for the unintended victim, as we say, who was a victim of this criminal conduct.' Olesky hopes people understand the greater picture in terms of what they are trying to do to make our communities safer: 'We still have a lot more work to be done and that's what I am even more proud of because these guys pick up and go out there right the next day and get after it.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Yahoo
DEA arrests another suspected TdA gang member in Aurora as several operations underway
AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — Drug Enforcement Administration agents of the Rocky Mountain Field Division say they took a suspected Tren de Aragua gang member into custody Tuesday. That suspect was arrested in a DEA operation at The Edge at Lowery Apartment complex in Aurora. That is the same complex where other alleged TdA gang members were said to have been living and carrying out crimes since August 2024. 'Immediate threat' to safety: Emergency order will close Aurora apartment complex The DEA RMFD has been spearheading several enforcement actions which they say are criminal investigations that were in the works long before stepped-up immigration enforcement policies went into effect. Several operations came to a head this week, making headlines. On Wednesday morning, agents arrested a person in Lochbuie for alleged drugs and weapons violations. Agents said that the investigation is connected to the Sinaloa Cartel, based out of Mexico. The DEA's actions are taking place against a backdrop of stepped-up federal immigration efforts. 'When it comes to immigration, that is one of the other tools in our toolbox now. That we are going to be able to remove those violent criminals and drug traffickers from the community,' DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge David Olesky said. While signing Laken Riley Act, Trump says he'll send 'worst criminal aliens' to Guantanamo Olesky was at the scene in Lochbuie and said there were several operations currently taking place across the state. Another one of those actions was taking place in Brighton at the same time. People who live in the neighborhood where the action was taking place said they were awakened by federal agents knocking on their doors in the wee hours of the morning. Video taken by Univision Colorado showed several law enforcement vehicles in the neighborhood. Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents were present, according to the Colorado Rapid Response Network. ICE agents were also present during a raid at a 'makeshift nightclub' in Adams County on Sunday morning. A picture was posted on the response network's Facebook page with a caption saying, 'Agents knocked on multiple doors.' The organization also posted a photo of people who appeared to be wearing ICE jackets. 'Community members responded by notifying each other and not opening the door since there was no warrant for those properties,' CORRN wrote on Facebook. One resident said in an on-camera interview with Univision that a lot of officers arrived including immigration agents as a helicopter flew above. The officers went into a mobile home, he said. Brighton police cruisers could be seen in the video as well. The Brighton Police Department released a statement saying the DEA requested its help for a criminal investigation. The statement goes on to say what happened there was not related to immigration enforcement. Colorado hotline sees increased ICE raid reports around Denver The DEA RMFD told FOX31 its operations are mostly focused on criminal investigations. DEA RMFD says the Brighton operation was not ICE-related. FOX31 reached out to ICE to ask about why its agents may have been present in Brighton. A response has not yet been received. DEA Agents were also in Fort Lupton, the city posted on its Facebook page saying agents were executing a search at a business there. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Yahoo
DEA arrests 4 in Colorado with suspected ties to Sinaloa Cartel, Tren de Aragua
The Drug Enforcement Administration has arrested four individuals in Colorado with suspected ties to Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel and the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Three male individuals allegedly involved in the trafficking of fentanyl – who have potential ties to the Sinaloa Cartel – were taken into custody Wednesday at a home across the street from the headquarters of the Lochbuie Police Department in Brighton, the agency told KDVR. "This investigation has been linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. Over the course of the last – not only few days, but months... what have we been talking about? Fentanyl, fentanyl, fentanyl. And that is going to continue to be our priority at DEA and it's about saving lives," David Olesky, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA's Rocky Mountain Field Division, told reporters at the scene. "What struck me today about this particular location is that we ended up seizing numerous rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition," he added. Tren De Aragua Member Wanted For Aurora, Colorado, Apartment Takeover Busted In Ice Raid In Nyc The DEA wrote on X that the location of the arrests was "literally across the street from a police station." Read On The Fox News App The three men were wanted in connection to a warrant that was issued out of Denver, KDVR reported. Multiple officers were seen heading in and out of the home during the investigation Wednesday, which closed Weld County Road 37 for several hours, the station added. Colorado Drug Bust Uncovers Cartel-connected Suspects, Approximately 130,000 Fentanyl Pills Earlier, the DEA's Rocky Mountain Field Division said "A suspected member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) was taken into custody in the Denver area overnight." Video released by the DEA showed a person in custody being led away from a housing complex. "DEA/local LEO partners continue hitting streets day/night pursuing drug criminals," it added on X. "Due to the ongoing investigation, more info may be released later today."Original article source: DEA arrests 4 in Colorado with suspected ties to Sinaloa Cartel, Tren de Aragua
Fox News
29-01-2025
- Fox News
DEA arrests 4 in Colorado with suspected ties to Sinaloa Cartel, Tren de Aragua
The Drug Enforcement Administration has arrested four individuals in Colorado with suspected ties to Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel and the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. Three male individuals allegedly involved in the trafficking of fentanyl – who have potential ties to the Sinaloa Cartel – were taken into custody Wednesday at a home across the street from the headquarters of the Lochbuie Police Department in Brighton, the agency told KDVR. "This investigation has been linked to the Sinaloa Cartel. Over the course of the last – not only few days, but months... what have we been talking about? Fentanyl, fentanyl, fentanyl. And that is going to continue to be our priority at DEA and it's about saving lives," David Olesky, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the DEA's Rocky Mountain Field Division, told reporters at the scene. "What struck me today about this particular location is that we ended up seizing numerous rifles and thousands of rounds of ammunition," he added. The DEA wrote on X that the location of the arrests was "literally across the street from a police station." The three men were wanted in connection to a warrant that was issued out of Denver, KDVR reported. Multiple officers were seen heading in and out of the home during the investigation Wednesday, which closed Weld County Road 37 for several hours, the station added. Earlier, the DEA's Rocky Mountain Field Division said "A suspected member of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) was taken into custody in the Denver area overnight." Video released by the DEA showed a person in custody being led away from a housing complex. "DEA/local LEO partners continue hitting streets day/night pursuing drug criminals," it added on X. "Due to the ongoing investigation, more info may be released later today."
CBS News
29-01-2025
- CBS News
DEA arrests suspects in early morning drug raid in Colorado, weapons and ammunition seized
Drug Enforcement Administration agents along with Denver police officers, arrested several suspects in an early morning drug raid Wednesday. DEA said they were investigating a drug trafficking operation in Lochbuie. "There is a renewed sense of purpose in our mission which is removing violent criminals who are trafficking dangerous drugs like fentanyl into our communities," said Assistant Special Agent in Charge, DEA Rocky Mountain Division David Olesky. Olesky said this is part of the operation that is removing members of the criminal Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua and two other cartels he mentioned by name.
