COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — In the pre-dawn chill of April 27, 2025, federal agents descended on an unassuming strip mall in Colorado Springs, shattering the quiet with the crash of a nightclub window. The target: an underground after-hours club, pulsing with over 200 people, now at the center of one of the largest immigration raids since President Donald Trump took office. By sunrise, more than 100 suspected undocumented immigrants were in custody, and viral videos of the chaotic bust were lighting up the internet.
The operation kicked off around 3:45 a.m., a meticulously planned strike involving over 300 law enforcement officers from at least ten federal agencies, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI, and even the U.S. Postal Service. Agents, clad in tactical gear, surrounded the nondescript building, their loudspeakers cutting through the night: “This is the police with a search warrant. Exit the front door, hands high.” Instructions in Spanish followed. When the crowd inside hesitated, an officer smashed a large window, sending patrons scrambling toward the exit—straight into a gauntlet of armed agents.
Video footage, later released by the DEA, captured the pandemonium. Men and women, some in club attire like sequined dresses and sharp jackets, spilled out, hands raised, as officers barked orders. Dozens were cuffed and lined up on the sidewalk, waiting for buses that would take them for processing and, for many, likely deportation. The clips spread fast online, racking up millions of views and sparking heated debate.
The nightclub, under surveillance for months, was no ordinary party spot. Authorities described it as a hub for drug trafficking, prostitution, and violent crime, frequented by members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, MS-13, and the Hells Angels. Agents seized cocaine, methamphetamine, a drug cocktail known as “pink cocaine,” and multiple firearms during the raid. Some drugs, scattered on the floor as police stormed in, hinted at the chaos of the moment.
Among the 114 suspected undocumented immigrants detained, the sweep also netted two people with outstanding warrants and a surprising group: over a dozen active-duty military members. Some were patrons; others worked as armed security for the illicit club. These service members, based at nearby Fort Carson, were handed over to the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division for further scrutiny.
The raid, one of the biggest single-day immigration busts under Trump’s renewed push for mass deportations, underscored the administration’s aggressive stance. It followed a weeklong operation in Florida that saw nearly 800 arrests, signaling a broader crackdown. In Colorado Springs, the club’s illicit activities had drawn federal attention for years, with local police joining the effort despite state laws limiting their role in immigration enforcement.
By day’s end, the detained were in ICE custody, their fates uncertain as officials sorted through cases. The building’s owner, speaking to local media, claimed ignorance, insisting he never suspected an underground nightclub on his property. Meanwhile, the viral videos kept circulating, a stark snapshot of a divided nation grappling with immigration, crime, and the long arm of federal power.
The operation yielded 114 arrests of suspected undocumented immigrants, multiple firearms, and drugs including cocaine, methamphetamine, and pink cocaine. Over 200 people were inside the club at the time of the raid.