Colorado Drug Criminals Arrested in Operation Return to Sender
The DEA has arrested ten notorious drug criminals in Colorado as part of "Operation Return to Sender", contributing to over 90 arrests in 16 days, highlighting a significant law enforcement collaboration.
The DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division announced that ten of Colorado's most notorious drug criminals were arrested during "Operation Return to Sender" and handed over to immigration enforcement. Over the past 16 days, their operation has led to the arrest of more than 90 individuals.
According to the DEA, at least three of the individuals arrested were associated with the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA). While the ten suspects highlighted are among the most serious criminals apprehended, a spokesperson indicated that there are even worse offenders among the remaining suspects.
These ten individuals have been placed in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and are likely facing deportation. It should be noted that not all of the 90 individuals arrested were undocumented immigrants, and their specific cases cannot be discussed due to ongoing investigations.
Charges against those arrested range from kidnapping to fentanyl distribution and child sexual assault. Some suspects were taken into custody during an ICE raid at a makeshift nightclub in January.
DEA Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen expressed the importance of working in partnership with various law enforcement agencies to ensure safety and combat drug-related crimes, describing their collective efforts as building an "Army of Good to Defeat the Evil."
Pullen stated that since President Donald Trump took office, law enforcement agencies have been encouraged to collaborate more than ever before, stating, "We are taking the information from DEA's tank, ICE's tank, HSI's tank, and the FBI and putting it all together."
The Trump administration has increased the pressure on ICE to ramp up the number of daily arrests from minimal figures to at least 1,200.
