Over the weekend, a major multi-agency law enforcement operation in Colorado Springs led to the arrest of 114 individuals identified by federal authorities as being in the U.S. illegally. The early morning raid targeted an underground nightclub near Academy Boulevard and Airport Road, where over 200 people had gathered.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced that the operation, involving more than 300 officers and agents from the DEA, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Postal Police, and local agencies, also resulted in the seizure of firearms and narcotics, including cocaine, methamphetamine, and a substance known as “pink cocaine.”
According to video footage released by the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division, agents breached the nightclub’s entrance after issuing multiple warnings. Law enforcement officers, some with weapons drawn, ordered patrons to the ground as dozens exited the building. Arrests began around 3:45 a.m., and those detained for immigration violations were placed on buses for processing by ICE and face likely deportation.
Attorney General Pam Bondi stated on social media that the club had been frequented by individuals affiliated with violent gangs such as Tren de Aragua (TDA) and MS-13, although no immediate public evidence directly confirmed gang membership among those arrested. Bondi also confirmed that two individuals were arrested on existing warrants during the operation.
DEA Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen said the operation disrupted not just immigration violations, but also drug trafficking, prostitution, and violent crimes occurring at the nightclub. Pullen also revealed that more than a dozen active-duty military service members were present, either as patrons or working as armed security guards. Fort Carson officials said off-duty employment by soldiers requires command approval, and investigations into whether procedures were followed are underway.
Colorado law restricts local law enforcement agencies from directly enforcing immigration laws unless a federal warrant is presented. Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez emphasized that his department’s involvement focused strictly on criminal violations, and he reaffirmed that CSPD did not engage in immigration enforcement actions. He noted that the operation was the result of a lengthy investigation into criminal activity threatening community safety.
Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade, himself an immigrant, issued a statement supporting the law enforcement actions. He emphasized that criminal activity from any source would not be tolerated, and praised the collaboration that led to the nightclub’s shutdown.
This raid follows a broader federal effort, with ICE announcing nearly 800 arrests in Florida just days earlier as part of a nationwide immigration enforcement campaign. The events in Colorado Springs mark one of the largest mass arrests linked to an immigration raid since President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2025.
As investigations continue, law enforcement officials are expected to pursue further charges related to narcotics, weapons, and other criminal offenses uncovered during the nightclub raid.
Image is in the public domain and was created by the U.S. Government.
