DEA busts drug traffickers in makeshift nightclub, takes 50 illegal aliens into custody

Federal agents took nearly 50 illegal immigrants into custody early Sunday during an operation targeting the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA)'s networks in Colorado. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Rocky Mountain Field Division said its agents, as well as partners at the Denver offices for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) conducted an early morning operation targeting drug trafficking and TdA members in Adams County, Colorado. 

The early morning raid targeted what federal authorities deemed a "makeshift nightclub" in Adams County that was "invite-only." The DEA said "dozens connected to the Tren de Aragua (TdA) gang were there." 

In posts on X, the agency shared photos of illegal immigrants lined up in handcuffs in the snow. "Drugs, weapons, and cash were seized in Adams County," one post said. "Nearly 50 illegal aliens were taken into custody."

Another post included video of the bus used to take the nearly 50 illegal immigrants away from the scene. The DEA said many of those detained are connected with TdA gang from Venezuela but did not specify the breakdown. 

The operation comes as President Donald Trump's border czar Tom Homan is spearheading his mass deportation strategy, first prioritizing apprehending criminal illegal immigrants across the country. 

Since Trump took office, ICE raids have been reported in Colorado, New York City, Buffalo, N.Y., Boston, California, and Minnesota so far, and hundreds of illegal immigrants have been detained.