Federal agents arrest 50 Tren de Aragua members, most illegal immigrants, at makeshift night club in Denver | Law Enforcement Today

DENVER, CO - In the early morning hours on Sunday, January 26th, federal agents raided a party at a "makeshift nightclub" in north Denver, arresting 50 people, many of whom are illegal immigrants and affiliated with the violent Venezuelan prison gang, Tren de Aragua (TdA).

According to CBS News, a spokesperson with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) Rocky Mountain Division said that the immigration status of all those arrested is "questionable" and is currently being investigated. DEA agents, along with others from the Denver offices of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE), and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), executed the raid.

In a social media post, the DEA said that agents entered a building at 6600 block of North Federal Boulevard, which had been converted into a "makeshift nightclub." Drugs, weapons, and case were seized from the property. According to the New York Post, Tusi or "pink cocaine," a powerful narcotic was also confiscated. TdA allegedly has played a major role in distributing that drug across the country.

The operation was specifically targeting drug trafficking and members of the TdA gang. Steffan Tubbs with the DEA-Rocky Mountain Division said that after the 50 illegal immigrants were taken into custody by the DEA, they were handed over to ICE. Derek Maltz, the acting administrator for the DEA told The Post, "We want the country to know that we will support he president's priority to round up the most dangerous illegal criminals."

He added, "The President and the DOJ leaders have made it clear that we are going to work together with a sense of urgency to hold violent criminals accountable. The citizens of this country must feel safe every day throughout the country. One of my goals is to help an army of good to fight evil."

The first illegal immigrant roundups, which are part of a larger operation dubbed "Return to Sender," are focusing on illegal immigrants who have been charged with crimes or have been ordered deported by a judge. Similar enforcement operations have taken place around the country in recent days, with some rounding up hundreds of illegal immigrants in sanctuary cities across the country, according to ICE.

These operations have taken place in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. It is not clear how many illegal immigrants were arrested in each operation, but sources familiar with the operations said that those who were taken into ICE custody are being held at detention centers. 

On Sunday, January 26th, in a series of social media posts, the White House touted the arrests taking place around the country, which it said included criminals ranging from "child rapists to suspected ISIS terrorists." Per the White House, among the "worst" men arrested was Edgar De La Cruz-Manzo, a Mexican national convicted of raping a child. He was arrested by ICE Seattle on January 25th. 

ICE Seattle also arrested Kevin Adith Torres-Velasquez, a Honduran national who was in possession of cocaine, fentanyl, and a firearm when he was placed in handcuffs on January 24th. In western New York, a Jordanian with suspected ties to ISIS was arrested by ICE Buffalo/Rouses Point on January 24th.

A member of MS-13 from El Salvador, who was wanted for aggravated homicide and slapped with an INTERPOL Red Notice was also taken into custody by ICE Los Angeles on January 24th. ICE Los Angeles also took into custody an unnamed Mexican national who is wanted for murder and who had a Red Notice.

ICE New Orleans arrested Yared Geremew Mekonnen, a convicted sex offender and Ethiopian national. ICE Boston arrested Vitor De Sousa-Lima, a Brazilian man convicted of vehicular manslaughter on January 25th. One final arrest highlighted by the White House was of Jaime Arroyo-Rivera, a Mexican national convicted of three counts of aggravated DUI. He was arrested by ICE Phoenix on January 24th.