Nightclub Raid Puts Spotlight Anew on Colorado's Illegal Immigration Woes

Supporters of a tougher approach to enforcement pointed to the anti-narcotics raid at a nightclub in Colorado’s second biggest city as yet another confirmation that criminal elements have embedded themselves among the tens of thousands of immigrants who arrived in the state over the past two years — attracted, they argued, by local “sanctuary policies.”

Federal law enforcement officials said they detained more than 100 people unlawfully living in the country during the raid at an “underground” Colorado Springs nightclub early on Sunday morning. The Drug Enforcement Administration said officers also seized cocaine and guns during the operation.

In a post on the social media platform X, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, linked the raid to organized crime, saying the club is frequented by members of the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua and the international gang MS-13.

It’s the second major raid of a nightclub in Colorado. In January, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rocky Mountain Field Division also executed a search warrant in the wee hours at a “makeshift nightclub” in Adams County. Agents detained 49 individuals. Of those, 41 were unlawfully residing in the country, officials have said. – Colorado Springs Gazette

Our Take: Colorado residents woke up to news of the early morning raid Sunday, with a massive deployment of photos and videos from local FBI, DEA, and ICE channels, as well as national deployments from Bondi and Homan.

The US Postal Inspector and Internal Revenue Service are on scene.

Sources with knowledge of the investigation shared that the Colorado raid was planned for months, in anticipation of President Trump’s return to office, and put into motion on Inauguration Day. The part of town where the raid took place is a criminal stronghold, with police SOP to send three to four units for even the most basic of calls due to the threat level in the area.

In other words, it was an ambitious and all hands on deck plan to execute this raid. It was very dangerous and, by all metrics, was a raging success. More info is expected on who they rolled up, and there are indications that it’s more than just unlawfully present party goers. We’ll see.

I don’t have inside knowledge of the raid in Florida, but they got eight times the amount of criminal invaders. Well done. –

Ashe in America