On Sunday, April 7th, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in the United States conducted a raid at a nightclub in Colorado Springs, arresting over 100 illegal immigrants. This operation marked one of the largest actions taken by the DEA since President Donald Trump took office on January 20th.
DEA confirmed that 114 illegal immigrants were apprehended during the operation, with the possibility of eventual deportation. The agency added that there were over 200 people present in the nightclub at the time.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi took to social media to announce the raid, stating, “This morning, the DEA arrested over 100 illegal immigrants at an underground nightclub frequented by members of the ‘Tren de Aragua’ and MS-13 terrorists. Cocaine, methamphetamine, and pink cocaine were seized. Additionally, two wanted suspects were captured.”
Bondi’s post did not explicitly mention whether the individuals arrested were members of the Venezuelan gang ‘Tren de Aragua’ or the Salvadoran gang MS-13.
A video released by the DEA online showed law enforcement officers announcing the identities of those apprehended outside the building, instructing patrons to raise their hands and exit. Subsequently, dozens of suspects were handcuffed and taken away.
Since taking office, the Trump administration has enforced stricter immigration and border policies, leading to intensified enforcement actions by various federal agencies in the United States.
The day before this nightclub raid, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced a “large-scale, multi-agency joint immigration enforcement operation” in collaboration with the Florida state government, resulting in the arrest of nearly 800 illegal immigrants within four days.
(This article is based on reporting from Reuters)