Latest news with #JuanGabrielOrona-Rodriguez
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
Staff sergeant accused of distributing cocaine at illegal nightclub could be released
DENVER (KDVR) — A federal judge ordered Thursday that a Fort Carson staff sergeant in the U.S. Army accused of selling cocaine at an underground nightclub could be released from federal custody on Friday. Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez, 28, a Staff Sergeant in the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team in the 4th Infantry Division, was arrested on May 1 by FBI Denver special agents. He is charged with one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine. Miniscule number of migrants smuggle drugs, survey of CBP data shows He is scheduled to appear dressed for release on Friday at 10 a.m. for a bond release hearing after arguments were held Thursday on the conditions of his bond. Those conditions are not provided in online federal court records. Orona-Rodriguez was 'one of approximately 17 active-duty U.S. Army service members' at an underground Colorado Springs nightclub that was subject to a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration raid on April 27, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado. He also allegedly provided security services at the club. 'Orona-Rodriguez appears to hold a leadership role in a business called Immortal Security LLC, which provides armed security at 'nightclubs' – including an afterhours, unlawful nightclub called Warike – within Colorado Springs, Colorado,' a U.S. attorney's office release announcing Orona-Rodriguez's arrest and charges stated. 'On numerous occasions, the Colorado Springs Police Department received 911 calls related to Warike citing a wide variety of alleged crimes, including weapons violations, assault, narcotics, and other violent crime.' According to an arrest affidavit, Orona-Rodriguez had been told by commanding officers in March that 'Immortal Security Operation LLC is off limits to members of the Armed Forces.' Specifically, he was told, according to the affidavit, ''…you are prohibited in engaging in off-duty employment without the approval of the Battalion Commander IAW 4ID…' Rodriguez received more than a dozen Army awards during his almost nine years in service, including an Army Commendation Medal with combat device, which is earned during a deployment where the soldier was 'performing meritoriously under the most arduous combat conditions,' according to Army descriptions of the award. 18 people removed from US after Colorado Springs nightclub raid, 86 still in ICE custody: ICE The attorney's office said Orona-Rodriguez sold cocaine to an undercover DEA agent in April. After obtaining a search warrant for Orona-Rodriguez's phone, the investigation found text messages dating back to September 2024, which appeared to show him purchasing and selling cocaine. According to an arrest affidavit, agents executed the search warrant on April 10. The court document outlines conversations allegedly discussing drug sales dating back several months. The same document describes how FBI and DEA agents conducted a controlled purchase from Orona-Rodriguez on April 21 and 22 near the military member's home in Colorado Springs. The substance that was purchased tested presumptively positive for the presence of cocaine and was submitted to a DEA laboratory for testing. Although he is not facing any charges, the arrest affidavit says that throughout September 2024, Orona-Rodriguez was texting with an undocumented immigrant about the sale of firearms. The affidavit says the investigators believed the payment for the purchase was made partially of cocaine and partially of cash. The affidavit also includes a photo of a Glock handgun with a high-capacity magazine that was allegedly texted by Orona-Rodriguez to the immigrant in September 2024. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
02-05-2025
Soldier at a Colorado nightclub during an immigration raid charged with distributing cocaine
DENVER -- A soldier present at an after-hours nightclub where more than 100 immigrants suspected of being in the U.S. illegally were taken into custody appeared in court Thursday to face charges that he distributed cocaine. Staff Sgt. Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez, who is assigned to Fort Carson, an Army post near the illegal club in Colorado Springs, was arrested Wednesday evening, the FBI said. He allegedly sold cocaine to an undercover agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration days before the raid and is accused of working with others to distribute the drug since around September, according to his arrest affidavit. Orona-Rodriguez — a member of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team in the 4th Infantry Division — was dressed in camouflage pants and a khaki T-shirt and held court documents in his handcuffed hands during his brief court hearing. He listened as the magistrate judge explained his rights and agreed to appoint a public defender to represent him. At the request of Assistant U.S. Attorney Garreth Winstead, Orona-Rodriguez will continue to be held until a hearing to discuss his detention on Tuesday. His lawyer, Josh Lilley, did not address the allegations against him during the hearing and declined to comment after the hearing, citing the public defenders' policy against speaking to the media. More than 300 law enforcement officers and officials from multiple agencies participated in Sunday's operation at the nightclub, which had been under investigation for months, said Jonathan Pullen, special agent in charge of the DEA's Rocky Mountain Division. Cocaine was among the drugs found, Pullen said at a news conference in Colorado Springs, whose leaders have declared that it is not a 'sanctuary city' for migrants. Orona-Rodriquez was one of about 17 active-duty U.S. Army service members who were at the club, known as Warike, when it was raided early Sunday, the affidavit said. He appears to have held a leadership role in a business that provides armed security at nightclubs, including at Warike, according to the document. However, it did not say whether he was working security there at the time of the raid. It notes that he had been warned by his commanding officer this spring that he could not work for the security company. According to the arrest affidavit, police received 911 calls related to the club 'citing a wide variety of alleged crimes, including weapons violations, assault, narcotics, and other violent crime.' Two people wanted in connection with criminal misdemeanor cases were also arrested during the raid, Colorado Springs police said. Colorado Springs mayor Yemi Mobolade, a political independent and Nigerian immigrant, has expressed support for the operation, which he said was the 'result of clear evidence of serious criminal conduct.' 'Our residents deserve to live in a city where the rule of law is upheld and where illegal behavior is met with firm and decisive action,' he said in a statement. President Donald Trump posted a link to the DEA video of the raid on his social media site, Truth Social. 'A big Raid last night on some of the worst people illegally in our Country — Drug Dealers, Murderers, and other Violent Criminals, of all shapes and sizes,' the president wrote. Rodriguez received more than a dozen Army awards during his almost nine years in service, including an Army Commendation Medal with combat device, which is earned during a deployment where the soldier was 'performing meritoriously under the most arduous combat conditions,' according to Army descriptions of the award. Of the 17 soldiers who were at the venue at the time of the raid, 16 were patrons and one was working there in a security role, a U.S. official said on the condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public. Sixteen of the soldiers there were assigned to Fort Carson, the official did not know where the seventeenth was assigned. Investigators suspect Orona-Rodriguez was getting cocaine from an unidentified Mexican citizen who is 'unlawfully present in the United States without admission,' according to the affidavit.
San Francisco Chronicle
02-05-2025
- San Francisco Chronicle
Soldier at a Colorado nightclub during an immigration raid charged with distributing cocaine
DENVER (AP) — A soldier present at an after-hours nightclub where more than 100 immigrants suspected of being in the U.S. illegally were taken into custody appeared in court Thursday to face charges that he distributed cocaine. Staff Sgt. Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez, who is assigned to Fort Carson, an Army post near the illegal club in Colorado Springs, was arrested Wednesday evening, the FBI said. He allegedly sold cocaine to an undercover agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration days before the raid and is accused of working with others to distribute the drug since around September, according to his arrest affidavit. Orona-Rodriguez — a member of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team in the 4th Infantry Division — was dressed in camouflage pants and a khaki T-shirt and held court documents in his handcuffed hands during his brief court hearing. He listened as the magistrate judge explained his rights and agreed to appoint a public defender to represent him. At the request of Assistant U.S. Attorney Garreth Winstead, Orona-Rodriguez will continue to be held until a hearing to discuss his detention on Tuesday. His lawyer, Josh Lilley, did not address the allegations against him during the hearing and declined to comment after the hearing, citing the public defenders' policy against speaking to the media. More than 300 law enforcement officers and officials from multiple agencies participated in Sunday's operation at the nightclub, which had been under investigation for months, said Jonathan Pullen, special agent in charge of the DEA's Rocky Mountain Division. Cocaine was among the drugs found, Pullen said at a news conference in Colorado Springs, whose leaders have declared that it is not a 'sanctuary city' for migrants. Orona-Rodriguez was one of about 17 active-duty U.S. Army service members who were at the club, known as Warike, when it was raided early Sunday, the affidavit said. He appears to have held a leadership role in a business that provides armed security at nightclubs, including at Warike, according to the document. However, it did not say whether he was working security there at the time of the raid. It notes that he had been warned by his commanding officer this spring that he could not work for the security company. According to the arrest affidavit, police received 911 calls related to the club 'citing a wide variety of alleged crimes, including weapons violations, assault, narcotics, and other violent crime.' Two people wanted in connection with criminal misdemeanor cases were also arrested during the raid, Colorado Springs police said. Colorado Springs mayor Yemi Mobolade, a political independent and Nigerian immigrant, has expressed support for the operation, which he said was the 'result of clear evidence of serious criminal conduct.' 'Our residents deserve to live in a city where the rule of law is upheld and where illegal behavior is met with firm and decisive action,' he said in a statement. President Donald Trump posted a link to the DEA video of the raid on his social media site, Truth Social. 'A big Raid last night on some of the worst people illegally in our Country — Drug Dealers, Murderers, and other Violent Criminals, of all shapes and sizes,' the president wrote. Rodriguez received more than a dozen Army awards during his almost nine years in service, including an Army Commendation Medal with combat device, which is earned during a deployment where the soldier was 'performing meritoriously under the most arduous combat conditions,' according to Army descriptions of the award. Of the 17 soldiers who were at the venue at the time of the raid, 16 were patrons and one was working there in a security role, a U.S. official said on the condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public. Sixteen of the soldiers there were assigned to Fort Carson, the official did not know where the seventeenth was assigned. Investigators suspect Orona-Rodriguez was getting cocaine from an unidentified Mexican citizen who is 'unlawfully present in the United States without admission,' according to the affidavit. _____
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Yahoo
Soldier at a Colorado nightclub during an immigration raid charged with distributing cocaine
DENVER (AP) — A soldier present at an after-hours nightclub where more than 100 immigrants suspected of being in the U.S. illegally were taken into custody appeared in court Thursday to face charges that he distributed cocaine. Staff Sgt. Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez, who is assigned to Fort Carson, an Army post near the illegal club in Colorado Springs, was arrested Wednesday evening, the FBI said. He allegedly sold cocaine to an undercover agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration days before the raid and is accused of working with others to distribute the drug since around September, according to his arrest affidavit. Orona-Rodriguez — a member of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team in the 4th Infantry Division — was dressed in camouflage pants and a khaki T-shirt and held court documents in his handcuffed hands during his brief court hearing. He listened as the magistrate judge explained his rights and agreed to appoint a public defender to represent him. At the request of Assistant U.S. Attorney Garreth Winstead, Orona-Rodriguez will continue to be held until a hearing to discuss his detention on Tuesday. His lawyer, Josh Lilley, did not address the allegations against him during the hearing and declined to comment after the hearing, citing the public defenders' policy against speaking to the media. More than 300 law enforcement officers and officials from multiple agencies participated in Sunday's operation at the nightclub, which had been under investigation for months, said Jonathan Pullen, special agent in charge of the DEA's Rocky Mountain Division. Cocaine was among the drugs found, Pullen said at a news conference in Colorado Springs, whose leaders have declared that it is not a 'sanctuary city' for migrants. Orona-Rodriguez was one of about 17 active-duty U.S. Army service members who were at the club, known as Warike, when it was raided early Sunday, the affidavit said. He appears to have held a leadership role in a business that provides armed security at nightclubs, including at Warike, according to the document. However, it did not say whether he was working security there at the time of the raid. It notes that he had been warned by his commanding officer this spring that he could not work for the security company. According to the arrest affidavit, police received 911 calls related to the club 'citing a wide variety of alleged crimes, including weapons violations, assault, narcotics, and other violent crime.' Two people wanted in connection with criminal misdemeanor cases were also arrested during the raid, Colorado Springs police said. Colorado Springs mayor Yemi Mobolade, a political independent and Nigerian immigrant, has expressed support for the operation, which he said was the 'result of clear evidence of serious criminal conduct.' 'Our residents deserve to live in a city where the rule of law is upheld and where illegal behavior is met with firm and decisive action,' he said in a statement. President Donald Trump posted a link to the DEA video of the raid on his social media site, Truth Social. 'A big Raid last night on some of the worst people illegally in our Country — Drug Dealers, Murderers, and other Violent Criminals, of all shapes and sizes,' the president wrote. Rodriguez received more than a dozen Army awards during his almost nine years in service, including an Army Commendation Medal with combat device, which is earned during a deployment where the soldier was 'performing meritoriously under the most arduous combat conditions,' according to Army descriptions of the award. Of the 17 soldiers who were at the venue at the time of the raid, 16 were patrons and one was working there in a security role, a U.S. official said on the condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public. Sixteen of the soldiers there were assigned to Fort Carson, the official did not know where the seventeenth was assigned. Investigators suspect Orona-Rodriguez was getting cocaine from an unidentified Mexican citizen who is 'unlawfully present in the United States without admission,' according to the affidavit. Orona-Rodriguez was charged with two drug-related counts, including conspiracy to distribute cocaine. _____ Associated Press writer Tara Copp in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. Colleen Slevin, The Associated Press
Toronto Sun
01-05-2025
- Toronto Sun
Soldier at Colorado nightclub during immigration raid charged with distributing cocaine
Published May 01, 2025 • 2 minute read Cocaine. DENVER — A soldier present at an after-hours nightclub where more than 100 immigrants suspected of being in the U.S. illegally were taken into custody last weekend has been charged with distributing cocaine, court records show. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Staff Sgt. Juan Gabriel Orona-Rodriguez, who is assigned to Fort Carson, an Army post near the illegal club in Colorado Springs, was arrested Wednesday evening, the FBI said in a statement. The arrest came after an investigation by the DEA, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and officials at Fort Carson, the FBI said. Orona-Rodriquez, a member of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team in the 4th Infantry Division, has been charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine after allegedly selling cocaine to an undercover DEA agent sometime during the week before the raid, according to an arrest affidavit. It wasn't immediately known if the soldier has a lawyer, but he was expected to appear in court later Thursday. More than 300 law enforcement officers and officials from multiple agencies participated in Sunday's operation at the nightclub, which had been under investigation for months for alleged activities including drug trafficking, prostitution and 'crimes of violence,' said Jonathan Pullen, special agent in charge of the DEA's Rocky Mountain Division. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Cocaine was among the drugs found, Pullen said at a news conference. Orona-Rodriquez was one of about 17 active-duty U.S. Army service members who were at the club, known as Warike, when it was raided early Sunday, the affidavit said. He appears to have held a leadership role in a business that provides armed security at nightclubs, including at Warike, according to the document. However, it did not say whether he was working security there at the time of the raid. It notes that he had been warned by his commanding officer this spring that he could not work for the security company. Of the 17 soldiers who were at the venue at the time of the raid, 16 were patrons and one was working there in a security role, a U.S. official said on the condition of anonymity to provide details not yet made public. Sixteen of the soldiers there were assigned to Fort Carson, the official did not know where the seventeenth was assigned. Investigators suspect Orona-Rodriguez was getting cocaine from an unidentified Mexican citizen who is 'unlawfully present in the United States without admission,' according to the affidavit. President Donald Trump posted a link to the DEA video of the raid on his social media site, Truth Social. 'A big Raid last night on some of the worst people illegally in our Country — Drug Dealers, Murderers, and other Violent Criminals, of all shapes and sizes,' the president wrote. Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto & GTA NFL Editorial Cartoons NHL
