In a major operation early Sunday morning, agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrested more than 100 individuals living in the country illegally during a raid on what authorities described as an “underground nightclub” tied to violent gang activity.
The operation, carried out after a months-long investigation, led to the apprehension of at least 114 illegal immigrants, according to the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division. Those arrested were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for processing and are expected to face deportation proceedings.
Federal agents said more than 200 people were inside the makeshift nightclub at the time of the raid. Authorities reported recovering illicit drugs, including cocaine and "pink cocaine" — a synthetic drug mixture commonly known as tusi — along with several firearms. Investigators also identified known affiliates of MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, two notoriously violent transnational criminal organizations, among the nightclub’s patrons.
"What was happening inside was significant drug trafficking, prostitution, crimes of violence. We seized a number of guns in there," said Jonathan Pullen, special agent in charge of the DEA's Rocky Mountain Division.
In a development raising serious concerns, more than a dozen active-duty military service members were found inside the nightclub, either working as armed security guards or present as patrons. It remains unclear whether they were participating in the operation undercover. The DEA referred questions regarding military involvement to the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, which confirmed a joint investigation is underway but declined further comment.
Video footage posted to social media captured chaotic scenes as clubgoers attempted to flee while law enforcement moved in to detain individuals. Two people with outstanding warrants were also arrested during the raid, according to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Despite the scale of the operation, none of those arrested have yet been publicly identified. Officials cited ongoing investigations and privacy concerns in withholding their names.
Bondi criticized the previous administration’s handling of the situation, noting that federal authorities had received roughly 170 tips from concerned citizens about the illegal activities at the nightclub — tips she alleged were ignored under President Biden.
Local leaders welcomed the DEA’s actions. Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade praised the raid as a critical step toward protecting public safety. Police Chief Adrian Vasquez stated that the Colorado Springs Police Department will assist in prosecuting those responsible for criminal conduct uncovered during the raid.
President Donald Trump, currently nearing the 100-day mark of his new administration, lauded the operation's success in a post on Truth Social. “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," Trump wrote. "If we don’t win this battle at the Supreme Court, our Country, as we know it, is FINISHED!"
The raid reflects the Trump administration’s broader commitment to aggressive immigration enforcement and crime reduction, key pillars of its policy agenda. Administration officials claim their actions are already delivering results, with Border Czar Tom Homan citing a 96 percent decrease in illegal southern border crossings since Trump returned to office.
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