A HUGE RAID IN COLORADO SPRINGS FINDS DRUGS, GUNS AND ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS And some members of the military from Fort Carson, either partying or working as security at what is being called an "underground" nightclub, though I'm not sure exactly what that means. More than 100 people who are in the country illegally were swept up in the raid that also found drugs and guns. This was a DEA investigation in cooperation with ICE, so it wasn't JUST about finding people in the country illegally. I've got someone from the DEA on today at 2:30 to find out more details.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The story of a huge bust in Colorado's Springs over
the weekend, and I am thrilled to have with us.
Who was This person was described to me by DEA
spokesperson Stephan Tubbs as the architect of yesterday's enforcement. Joining
me now Assistant Special Agent in charge of the DEA
(00:20):
Rocky Mountain Division, James Strup.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Welcome to the show, sir.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Thank you Mandy for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
I want to.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Start at the very beginning, and I'd love for you
to tell me a little bit about the investigation that
led to the raid at this underground nightclub.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
So this is so close sold investigation as it is ongoing.
But what I can tell you at most is that
it was very important from us from the beginning to
have a number of our federal partners and our state
local partners involved in this case. You will learn that
we have roughly ten federal agencies that came together to
view this as a significant opportunity to work together. In addition,
brought in our state local partners from Colorado Springs Helpaba
(00:58):
County and even Douglas Counties participate. This is an unheard
of event that takes place. It takes a lot to
be the architect of this. I can tell you that
to bring all of these different agencies together, but it
was a sheer joy to do so.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
So tell me about the actual rate. Well, answer a
question about the nightclub itself. I keep hearing peep saying
it's an underground nightclub, an illegal nightclub. What was the
status of this facility, what actually was going on here?
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Well, these are underground facilities is that they're not known
to the public, they're not opening to advertise. They have
after hour sales of liquor with no liquor license. You
can't be selling liquor or drinks to anybody without a
license between the hours of two am and six am.
So this was a word of mouse type environments where
you would get a notice on a particular way and
be passed off the information on how to get to
(01:43):
this location, very clandestine in secret in nature. And then
inside it's just a basic club. It's loud music, it's
lots of drinks. But unfortunately inside this particular club they
had added activities in drug trafficking with really weapons violations
and even prostitutions.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
So do they have any kind of licenseeing at all?
I mean, that's the part I'm confused about. Were they
licensed at one point and then they just went beyond
that or is this fully an underground situation where they're
selling a legal liquor?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Two, This is fully an underground operator associated with this.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
How many people were arrested?
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Through our investigation, we've identified that roughly bout two hundred
people were inside this location. We have one hundred and
ten or one hundred and fifteen that were taken into
ice custody, and through that process of processing of them,
there are now one hundred and five that are in custody.
We took another two in custody with regarding their wants
or warrants on local charges. The rest were released as
(02:40):
they were US citizens that had no other reason to
hold them for anything.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Further, so, what did you find when you went into
this nightclub?
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Other than the people? What else was in there?
Speaker 3 (02:52):
We saw quantities of cocaine, pink cocaine or two sy methanphetamine.
We seized twelve guns and a little bit of US currency.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
So it is my understanding that when there's a rate
of this sort that you guys walk in and people
just unload drugs and guns onto the floor to make
it harder for you to attach it to the owner.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Is that accurate?
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Yes, that's it. It's very accurate and needs you can
tell with inside this club, we had roughly about two
hundred people inside, and we had a very large presence
of our own on the outside, and with us making
notice make an entry for the search warrant, we had
people just spilling out, so they knew that we were
there with our overt presence, and whomen learned that we
were there, it simply was that it's empty your pockets
of whatever you don't want to be caught with, throw
(03:37):
your guns around into a corner, into the ceiling tiles,
anything like that, to distance themselves from the drugs that
they were possessing or the weapons they were possessing, and
then from there try to either escape or try to
get outside and just be contacted and be able to
move from there.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
How did you guys, Do you guys initially find out
about this place from a.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Tip or was it what through? What I mean? Can
you give me that information?
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Well, it is ongoing investigation, but we have a number
of ways that we collect information to get investigation started,
and then we vet that information thoroughly. Conduct our own
investigation and continue to work up the line. So again,
it is an ongoing investigation. We are not done. We're
looking at other coked sphares within this operation and if
it leads to other nightclubs, then so be it. But
we're continuing our investigation forthright.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Do you believe that this was gang related and are
you confident that you are? Are you arrested gang members
last night?
Speaker 3 (04:25):
We're aware from our intelligence of conducting operations inside the
club planned estimly through undercovers, and with that we identified
information to indicate that there were TDA members, the RAMIS
thirteen members, or even Bandito members that were inside these clubs.
We're working with our partners right now to ascertain and
to vet the individual that we contacted to find out
if any of them were any of those members or
(04:46):
any of their additional members such as one of the
cartels like Sinaloa, CGNG again TDA or MS thirteen.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Without giving too much about the ongoing investigation up, was
it a dea or operation that that turned into something
where you knew that you needed to bring ice in
or was it the reverse or was it a combination
of the two.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
So I'd go back to my beginning is that yes,
this was a DEA initiated investigation, but as we developed
the intelligence, as we further peeled back the layers of
this investigation, we identified that we needed our partners from
atf ARMYCID, cvp FBI, AHSI, E RO IRS, Fuls Inspection Service,
and the US Marshals, and also to include our representatives
(05:30):
in color Rob Springs PD, Apasso County PD, and Douglas County.
The breath of this investigation is revealed that all of
these different agencies that I just talked about had some
sort of bearing into it, and so it's very powerful
to be the architect behind this and to combine these
agencies together towards one united efforts. And I can tell
you having been out there on the scene, when you're
walking around with this many people from our own agencies
(05:51):
and the individuals we encountered in the club, it was
powerful to see all those agencies working together as one.
It wasn't just DEA out there, it was all of
our partners. And that makes it so special is that
we were all working together as one.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
We're seeing a lot of these bus here in Colorado.
Is there renewed energy not that there was an energy before.
I don't want to imply that, but there does seem
to be a renewed energy and a focus on sort
of making these big splashes and publicizing them highly afterward.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Is that part of a strategy as well to sort.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Of put the bad guys on notice that the easypsy
days are behind them and that they need to be
looking over their shoulder.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
We want everybody to know that federal law enforcement is
here to serve the community and serve the public. We
are under a different administration and administration with is challenging
us to go out there and to improve the communities
and take the fight to the community. So when we
learn of activities like this happening, we want to have
an immediate action and impact. And one of the best
ways we can do that, beyond our enforcement activities, is
actually sharing that with the public by getting it out
(06:53):
there with the news media, conducting interviews with yourself, Mandy,
but also going to our ex account. You know, we're
getting out everything we can to let everybody know the
work that we are doing. So it is very positive
for us to share the work we're doing openly, because
if we don't, no one knows what we're doing. They
look at us and say, what is DA doing today, Well,
we're out there, in fact proven it every day, post
(07:13):
a non xt, making interviews, doing everything we can to
let the American public know that we are here to
serve Americans and to get that information out. And in fact,
if I can have a moment of your time, we
want to tell you about a phone call that we
received today from one of the residents within that area.
This gentleman took time out of his day to locate
our number to contact us, and we have a message
to say how thankful he was for the work that
(07:35):
we had done in that community. He was terrorized within
his own community, afraid for himself and frey for his family,
and afraid for others to even walk across the street
to the seven eleven because of this club's activity. Now,
because of the efforts of DA and it's partner agencies,
this gentleman is family, his loved ones around in that
community can traverse that neighborhood without fear because we've eliminated
(07:57):
that threat. And that is such a powerful impact for
us on this side to know that we have made
a difference.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
The owner of the building or the facility says he
had no idea this was going on?
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Is that?
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Even one of my texters said, how is that possible?
How is it possible that this guy had no idea
this was going on?
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Yeah, I would wonder that myself is everything that we
had learned. I find it hard to believe that he
did not know.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Well, you know, I appreciate what you guys are doing.
I look forward to seeing what's going to happen next.
And it's not that I believe that we are a state.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Just overrun by criminals.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
But I think me and everyone else who lives here
as a law abiding citizen is happy when at least
some criminals are taken off the streets. What happens to
the people that were taken or arrested by ICE?
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Do you know?
Speaker 3 (08:47):
They will be moved through the ICE processes and they
will make their own determinations and what to do with
those people that have a status to stay. As I
said earlier, I to take it in one hundred and
fifteen people to be detained, of that so far as
my knowledge, and five is the new number. So ten
people have been released due to legal status. Okay, Well,
they look to work through their own processes. To make
a determination of how to move forward.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
One Texter asked this question, and it's a good one.
Why were the Postal Service and the irs there? Did
that have to do with liquor being sold and not
taxed properly? What was their role there?
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Well, it wouldn't have to do with liquor, I could
tell you that, but it definitely has to do with
part of the ongoing investigation. And again, as the ARCHISAC
of that investigation, look at the different agencies that are there,
as you made mentioned, United States PULLS, Instection Service, E
R O, HSI, FBI, I R S, they all have
a role to play. They all have the unique talent
that they bring to the investigation, and we're going to
(09:40):
happen to each of those talents to make sure that
we can peel back every layer of every co conspirator
and bring them the justice.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
I like the way that sounds, and I appreciate the
work that you guys are doing out there, and I'm
glad you had time to come on and talk to.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Me about it.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
This is Assistant Special Agent in Charge James Stroup with
the DEA Rocky Mountain Division. Thank you so much, Agent Stroup.
We appreciate your time today.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
Thank you, Mandy. And again if you can follow us
A de A Rocky mt N D I V on X,
it would be greatly appreciated.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
That's Stephan Tubbs in the background. Tell them I'll do it.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Thank you, Mandy.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
All right, thanks Agent Streue, appreciate you.
The story of a huge bust in Colorado's Springs over
the weekend, and I am thrilled to have with us.
Who was This person was described to me by DEA
spokesperson Stephan Tubbs as the architect of yesterday's enforcement. Joining
me now Assistant Special Agent in charge of the DEA
(00:20):
Rocky Mountain Division, James Strup.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Welcome to the show, sir.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Thank you Mandy for having me.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
I want to.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Start at the very beginning, and I'd love for you
to tell me a little bit about the investigation that
led to the raid at this underground nightclub.
Speaker 3 (00:35):
So this is so close sold investigation as it is ongoing.
But what I can tell you at most is that
it was very important from us from the beginning to
have a number of our federal partners and our state
local partners involved in this case. You will learn that
we have roughly ten federal agencies that came together to
view this as a significant opportunity to work together. In addition,
brought in our state local partners from Colorado Springs Helpaba
(00:58):
County and even Douglas Counties participate. This is an unheard
of event that takes place. It takes a lot to
be the architect of this. I can tell you that
to bring all of these different agencies together, but it
was a sheer joy to do so.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
So tell me about the actual rate. Well, answer a
question about the nightclub itself. I keep hearing peep saying
it's an underground nightclub, an illegal nightclub. What was the
status of this facility, what actually was going on here?
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Well, these are underground facilities is that they're not known
to the public, they're not opening to advertise. They have
after hour sales of liquor with no liquor license. You
can't be selling liquor or drinks to anybody without a
license between the hours of two am and six am.
So this was a word of mouse type environments where
you would get a notice on a particular way and
be passed off the information on how to get to
(01:43):
this location, very clandestine in secret in nature. And then
inside it's just a basic club. It's loud music, it's
lots of drinks. But unfortunately inside this particular club they
had added activities in drug trafficking with really weapons violations
and even prostitutions.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
So do they have any kind of licenseeing at all?
I mean, that's the part I'm confused about. Were they
licensed at one point and then they just went beyond
that or is this fully an underground situation where they're
selling a legal liquor?
Speaker 3 (02:09):
Two, This is fully an underground operator associated with this.
Speaker 2 (02:14):
How many people were arrested?
Speaker 3 (02:19):
Through our investigation, we've identified that roughly bout two hundred
people were inside this location. We have one hundred and
ten or one hundred and fifteen that were taken into
ice custody, and through that process of processing of them,
there are now one hundred and five that are in custody.
We took another two in custody with regarding their wants
or warrants on local charges. The rest were released as
(02:40):
they were US citizens that had no other reason to
hold them for anything.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Further, so, what did you find when you went into
this nightclub?
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Other than the people? What else was in there?
Speaker 3 (02:52):
We saw quantities of cocaine, pink cocaine or two sy methanphetamine.
We seized twelve guns and a little bit of US currency.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
So it is my understanding that when there's a rate
of this sort that you guys walk in and people
just unload drugs and guns onto the floor to make
it harder for you to attach it to the owner.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Is that accurate?
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Yes, that's it. It's very accurate and needs you can
tell with inside this club, we had roughly about two
hundred people inside, and we had a very large presence
of our own on the outside, and with us making
notice make an entry for the search warrant, we had
people just spilling out, so they knew that we were
there with our overt presence, and whomen learned that we
were there, it simply was that it's empty your pockets
of whatever you don't want to be caught with, throw
(03:37):
your guns around into a corner, into the ceiling tiles,
anything like that, to distance themselves from the drugs that
they were possessing or the weapons they were possessing, and
then from there try to either escape or try to
get outside and just be contacted and be able to
move from there.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
How did you guys, Do you guys initially find out
about this place from a.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Tip or was it what through? What I mean? Can
you give me that information?
Speaker 3 (03:57):
Well, it is ongoing investigation, but we have a number
of ways that we collect information to get investigation started,
and then we vet that information thoroughly. Conduct our own
investigation and continue to work up the line. So again,
it is an ongoing investigation. We are not done. We're
looking at other coked sphares within this operation and if
it leads to other nightclubs, then so be it. But
we're continuing our investigation forthright.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Do you believe that this was gang related and are
you confident that you are? Are you arrested gang members
last night?
Speaker 3 (04:25):
We're aware from our intelligence of conducting operations inside the
club planned estimly through undercovers, and with that we identified
information to indicate that there were TDA members, the RAMIS
thirteen members, or even Bandito members that were inside these clubs.
We're working with our partners right now to ascertain and
to vet the individual that we contacted to find out
if any of them were any of those members or
(04:46):
any of their additional members such as one of the
cartels like Sinaloa, CGNG again TDA or MS thirteen.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
Without giving too much about the ongoing investigation up, was
it a dea or operation that that turned into something
where you knew that you needed to bring ice in
or was it the reverse or was it a combination
of the two.
Speaker 3 (05:07):
So I'd go back to my beginning is that yes,
this was a DEA initiated investigation, but as we developed
the intelligence, as we further peeled back the layers of
this investigation, we identified that we needed our partners from
atf ARMYCID, cvp FBI, AHSI, E RO IRS, Fuls Inspection Service,
and the US Marshals, and also to include our representatives
(05:30):
in color Rob Springs PD, Apasso County PD, and Douglas County.
The breath of this investigation is revealed that all of
these different agencies that I just talked about had some
sort of bearing into it, and so it's very powerful
to be the architect behind this and to combine these
agencies together towards one united efforts. And I can tell
you having been out there on the scene, when you're
walking around with this many people from our own agencies
(05:51):
and the individuals we encountered in the club, it was
powerful to see all those agencies working together as one.
It wasn't just DEA out there, it was all of
our partners. And that makes it so special is that
we were all working together as one.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
We're seeing a lot of these bus here in Colorado.
Is there renewed energy not that there was an energy before.
I don't want to imply that, but there does seem
to be a renewed energy and a focus on sort
of making these big splashes and publicizing them highly afterward.
Speaker 2 (06:22):
Is that part of a strategy as well to sort.
Speaker 1 (06:24):
Of put the bad guys on notice that the easypsy
days are behind them and that they need to be
looking over their shoulder.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
We want everybody to know that federal law enforcement is
here to serve the community and serve the public. We
are under a different administration and administration with is challenging
us to go out there and to improve the communities
and take the fight to the community. So when we
learn of activities like this happening, we want to have
an immediate action and impact. And one of the best
ways we can do that, beyond our enforcement activities, is
actually sharing that with the public by getting it out
(06:53):
there with the news media, conducting interviews with yourself, Mandy,
but also going to our ex account. You know, we're
getting out everything we can to let everybody know the
work that we are doing. So it is very positive
for us to share the work we're doing openly, because
if we don't, no one knows what we're doing. They
look at us and say, what is DA doing today, Well,
we're out there, in fact proven it every day, post
(07:13):
a non xt, making interviews, doing everything we can to
let the American public know that we are here to
serve Americans and to get that information out. And in fact,
if I can have a moment of your time, we
want to tell you about a phone call that we
received today from one of the residents within that area.
This gentleman took time out of his day to locate
our number to contact us, and we have a message
to say how thankful he was for the work that
(07:35):
we had done in that community. He was terrorized within
his own community, afraid for himself and frey for his family,
and afraid for others to even walk across the street
to the seven eleven because of this club's activity. Now,
because of the efforts of DA and it's partner agencies,
this gentleman is family, his loved ones around in that
community can traverse that neighborhood without fear because we've eliminated
(07:57):
that threat. And that is such a powerful impact for
us on this side to know that we have made
a difference.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
The owner of the building or the facility says he
had no idea this was going on?
Speaker 2 (08:08):
Is that?
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Even one of my texters said, how is that possible?
How is it possible that this guy had no idea
this was going on?
Speaker 3 (08:15):
Yeah, I would wonder that myself is everything that we
had learned. I find it hard to believe that he
did not know.
Speaker 1 (08:23):
Well, you know, I appreciate what you guys are doing.
I look forward to seeing what's going to happen next.
And it's not that I believe that we are a state.
Speaker 2 (08:32):
Just overrun by criminals.
Speaker 1 (08:34):
But I think me and everyone else who lives here
as a law abiding citizen is happy when at least
some criminals are taken off the streets. What happens to
the people that were taken or arrested by ICE?
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Do you know?
Speaker 3 (08:47):
They will be moved through the ICE processes and they
will make their own determinations and what to do with
those people that have a status to stay. As I
said earlier, I to take it in one hundred and
fifteen people to be detained, of that so far as
my knowledge, and five is the new number. So ten
people have been released due to legal status. Okay, Well,
they look to work through their own processes. To make
a determination of how to move forward.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
One Texter asked this question, and it's a good one.
Why were the Postal Service and the irs there? Did
that have to do with liquor being sold and not
taxed properly? What was their role there?
Speaker 3 (09:20):
Well, it wouldn't have to do with liquor, I could
tell you that, but it definitely has to do with
part of the ongoing investigation. And again, as the ARCHISAC
of that investigation, look at the different agencies that are there,
as you made mentioned, United States PULLS, Instection Service, E
R O, HSI, FBI, I R S, they all have
a role to play. They all have the unique talent
that they bring to the investigation, and we're going to
(09:40):
happen to each of those talents to make sure that
we can peel back every layer of every co conspirator
and bring them the justice.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
I like the way that sounds, and I appreciate the
work that you guys are doing out there, and I'm
glad you had time to come on and talk to.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
Me about it.
Speaker 1 (09:55):
This is Assistant Special Agent in Charge James Stroup with
the DEA Rocky Mountain Division. Thank you so much, Agent Stroup.
We appreciate your time today.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
Thank you, Mandy. And again if you can follow us
A de A Rocky mt N D I V on X,
it would be greatly appreciated.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
That's Stephan Tubbs in the background. Tell them I'll do it.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Thank you, Mandy.
Speaker 2 (10:17):
All right, thanks Agent Streue, appreciate you.
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