COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Sources with the Drug Enforcement Administration tell Denver7 Investigates that there were 17 military members at an underground nightclub that was part of a large-scale federal operation early Sunday morning.
Of those 17 military members, eight are reported to have been working as security.
The DEA also provided countries of origin for many of the 115 people detained after the operation because they were not able to prove they were in the country legally. Those countries include Guatemala, Cuba, El Salvador, Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Nicaragua, Chile and Honduras.
Of those 115 people, a DEA spokesperson said 105 are still in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
Colorado Springs police are reporting that two individuals with outstanding warrants were also arrested during the operation.
Denver7 Investigates was on scene just after 3 a.m. Sunday at the intersection of S. Academy Boulevard and Airport Road in central Colorado Springs for the operation, which included roughly 300 law enforcement officers from at least 10 agencies.
Denver7 Investigates
Some active duty military among those detained in Colorado Springs DEA bust
The operation was led by the DEA’s Rocky Mountain Division.
Approximately 200 people were in the club. The location of this underground club has moved around several times, according to sources, and was known for prostitution and drug trafficking, among other things.
The club had generated 170 calls for service at its various locations dating back to last year, according to the DEA.
Yesterday, Denver7 Investigates reported that the DEA linked drugs found at the scene to the Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel, one of the most powerful cartels in the world.
Watch our coverage from Monday evening, and hear from Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen, in the video below.
