DENVER — Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is suing the Mesa County Sheriff’s deputy who allegedly shared information with federal immigration officials about a 19-year-old Brazilian national and Utah nursing student he pulled over last month.
Weiser filed a civil lawsuit Tuesday against Mesa County Deputy Alexander Zwinck for violating Colorado laws that prohibit state and local officials from assisting federal immigration enforcement.
On June 5, Zwinck stopped University of Utah student Caroline Dias Goncalves on Interstate 70 near Loma because she was following a semitruck too closely, according to a news release from Weiser’s office.
Weiser said the deputy shared Goncalves' personal information in a Signal group chat with federal immigration officers and learned she was a Brazilian national with an expired visa, the news release stated.
The attorney general’s office alleges that Zwinck attempted to stall the 19-year-old driver, waiting on ICE agents, but eventually let her go.
However, she was later intercepted and detained by immigration officers later that day after Zwinck allegedly shared her location, vehicle details, and travel direction with federal agents.
Goncalves, who has been in the U.S. since 2012 when she moved with her family from Brazil, was released on bond on June 17, according to reports from our Utah news partner, KSTU-TV.
The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the stop and has placed Zwinck on leave.
Weiser said his office is also investigating broader alleged misconduct involving the Signal chat group to determine if they engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates state laws.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.