After police stormed into and busted a nightclub in Colorado early in the morning, 114 illegal migrants were abruptly apprehended.
At three in the morning on Sunday, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) announced that its Rocky Mountain Division, in coordination with local law enforcement and federal officers, launched a multi-agency enforcement operation.
As partygoers ran out of the building, dozens of armed guards stood outside the doors, and women in dresses and high heels appeared perplexed by the situation.
When the police broke down the door of the illegal establishment, a woman on the phone fell as they aimed rifles at her.
Another individual fled the nightclub, dropped to his knees, and frantically raised both arms in the air upon spotting the officers. The camera caught another individual letting his beer bottle fall to the ground before following the officers’ directions.
While some of the revelers cried and tried to flee the scene, sirens blared in the background as police yelled for everyone to get down.
The DEA further stated that the operation was a component of an investigation into violent crimes, prostitution, and drug trafficking occurring within the club.
Authorities traveled to an underground nightclub in Colorado Springs, about an hour away from Aurora, the home base of the Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua.
Members of the Hell’s Angels gang, MS-13, and Tren de Aragua are known to visit the underground club. According to DEA Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen, the number of members present during the raid is unknown.
Additionally, over a dozen active duty military personnel were present in the premises, some as security personnel and others as customers. According to Pullen, the probe into those people now includes the US Army Criminal probe Division.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained many of those arrested because they had no legal right to be in the country. According to the agency, guns and drugs were also taken during the raid.
‘Tusi,’ or pink cocaine, was one among the narcotics discovered, Pullin claimed. Investigators are testing at least a dozen little drug packages to determine the chemicals’ identities.
“Colorado Springs is waking up to a safer city this Sunday morning,” Pullen said.
The enormous bust operation was captured on dramatic video, which also showed the moment when a number of officers encircled the premises before one of them broke through a glass pane.
Officers were observed telling people to raise their hands and surrender while brandishing their firearms.
While some people were caught with outstanding warrants, Pullen indicated that many of those held will be charged with federal immigration.
He stated that it is unlikely they will face drug offense charges because it was difficult to establish possession during the operation.
This comes shortly after ICE officials in Florida began a nationwide operation and arrested close to 800 illegal immigrants.
ICE agents, Homeland Security, and local law enforcement collaborated on Operation Tidal Wave, which led to the arrest of 780 migrants.
275 people were detained as part of the extensive sweep and given final orders of removal, which means that a judge has officially ordered them to leave the country.
Jose Sanchez Reyes, a Colombian immigrant who entered the US illegally after being found guilty of homicide in his native country, was among those apprehended, Fox reported.
Additionally apprehended was Rafael Juarex Cabrera, a Guatemalan immigrant and suspected MS-13 member. According to officials, he had entered the United States illegally three times.
Savva Klishchevskii, a Russian immigrant, was also arrested for vehicular manslaughter after receiving an Interpol Red Notice outside of Russia.
Aron Isaak Morazan-Izaguirre of Honduras was hauled in, according to officials. He has twice entered the US illegally and is accused of being a member of the 18th Street Gang.
ICE illegally arrested people in the US by deputizing state and local law enforcement under their 287(g) authority.
In an effort to expedite deportations, the Trump administration has attempted to enlist local law enforcement to assist with its immigration operations.
“This is one of the first large-scale missions we’ve done like this ever,” ICE director Todd Lyons told ABC News.
We brought a “whole the government” approach with cooperative jurisdictions that want to help ICE secure communities in neighborhoods and remove public safety threats from our neighborhoods.
