By Chris Boyette, CNN
(CNN) — US federal agents early Sunday raided what authorities described as an underground nightclub in Colorado Springs and took into custody more than 100 migrants accused of being in the country illegally, the US Drug Enforcement Administration said.
“What was happening inside was significant drug trafficking, prostitution, crimes of violence,” Jonathan C. Pullen, special agent in charge at the DEA’s Rocky Mountain division, said at a news conference Sunday morning. “We seized a number of guns in there.”
Also, some active-duty military members were at the club – some of whom were working there – and were turned over to the Army, Pullen said. “We had active-duty service members who were running security at the club and involved in some of these crimes,” Pullen said.
Here’s what we know about the raid:
How the raid happened
The DEA and other agencies had been monitoring the nightclub for “a number of months,” according to Pullen.
During the surveillance, investigators documented drug trafficking, prostitution, and the presence of people suspected to be members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, the international gang MS-13, and the Hells Angels, Pullen said. It wasn’t immediately clear whether members of those groups were at the club during Sunday’s raid, Pullen said.
Agents from the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Department of Homeland Security and local law enforcement participated in Sunday’s raid, the DEA said on X. Hundreds of agents across more than 10 federal agencies participated in the raid, Pullen said.
DEA special agents announced their presence prior to entering the nightclub, and occupants were given multiple warnings to come out, according to the DEA’s Rocky Mountain field division.
The DEA on Sunday posted video to social media showing agents outside a building in what appears to be a strip mall, calling to the people inside: “This is the police with a search warrant demanding entry. Exit the front door one at a time with nothing in your hands, held high above your head.” Instructions in Spanish followed.
Another DEA video showed federal officers breaking a large front window of the building. People fled through a door, but were stopped by additional armed agents, the video shows.
Authorities found drugs at the club, including cocaine and pink cocaine, also known as “tusi,” Pullen said.
Details about those detained
Those believed to be in the US illegally were taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Pullen said.
“200 people were inside – at least 114 in the US illegally,” the DEA’s Rocky Mountain field division said.
Also, more than a dozen active-duty members of the US military were at the club during the raid – some who were patrons, and some who were working security at the club, Pullen said.
The active-duty service members were handed over to the US Army Criminal Investigation Division, Pullen said. A spokesperson for the Army Criminal Investigations Division told CNN that it was conducting a joint investigation with the DEA, which was the lead agency. “As this is an ongoing investigation, we are unable to provide additional information at this time,” the spokesperson said.
The DEA has not said what, if any, charges were filed against anyone in the club, or released the names of those detained. CNN has reached out to ICE for more details.
US Attorney General Pamela Bondi posted on X that two people had been arrested on outstanding warrants during the raid, but she did not elaborate.
What politicians are saying
President Donald Trump praised the raid on TruthSocial.
Alongside a video of agents entering the building, Trump wrote: “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, and Judges don’t want to send them back to where they came from. If we don’t win this battle at the Supreme Court, our Country, as we know it, is FINISHED! It will be a Crime ridden MESS. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
The raid comes amid a large push by the Trump administration to deport people accused of being in the country illegally – an effort that has faced legal challenges. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court paused the deportation of immigrants potentially subject to the Alien Enemies Act.
The Justice Department has repeatedly asserted it will investigate any local officials who do not assist federal authorities with immigration matters.
Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade, who was elected as an independent, thanked law enforcement officials involved in Sunday’s raid, saying: “Criminal activity of any kind, from anyone, will not be tolerated in Colorado Springs. This investigation and the execution of these warrants are the result of clear evidence of serious criminal conduct.”
The office of Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, issued a statement to CNN affiliate KRDO: “Governor Polis is focused on making Colorado safer for everyone, and that includes cracking down on illegal drugs and firearms. We await the details from the DEA and federal government on this action.”
Last week, the DOJ charged a Milwaukee County circuit judge on suspicion of helping an undocumented immigrant avoid arrest, in what her peer described as “a message to chill the judiciary.”
CNN’s Susannah Cullinane and Hanna Park contributed to this report.
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