AURORA, Colorado ‒ In the early hours of Wednesday morning, federal agents apprehended and detained several individuals in Denver and nearby Aurora, forcefully entering homes and interviewing residents while searching for over 100 alleged Venezuelan gang members.

This operation seemed to be one of the largest efforts led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since President Donald Trump took office, where he had committed to deporting immigrants with criminal backgrounds. However, it remains unclear how many individuals were detained during this operation.

Fernando Martinez, 54, recounted waking up with a hangover at a friend’s place in the Cedar Run Apartments when law enforcement began knocking on the door. He stated he couldn’t get to his feet before they forced their way in.

“They came in with their weapons drawn,” said Martinez, who was not taken into custody. “They threw flashbangs at me a few times,” referring to the disorienting devices often utilized by police.

The Enforcement and Removal Operations team at ICE Denver stated they were focusing on members of the Venezuelan gang known as Tren de Aragua. Federal authorities have not disclosed the identities of those arrested or provided further details about who was detained or chosen as targets.

President Trump has frequently pointed to Denver and Aurora as cities that are overly hospitable to undocumented immigrants, vowing to intensify enforcement actions in those areas. There were reports of planned extensive raids last week, but these were called off after public attention increased.

“Regrettably, we must enter these communities because we don’t receive the collaboration we require from the jails,” said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Caleb Vitello in a video press conference from an apartment complex on Wednesday. “But if we need to conduct these actions within the community, then that’s exactly what we will do.”

Trump, alongside other conservative leaders and commentators, has often portrayed Tren de Aragua as a violent criminal organization threatening cities nationwide.

However, law enforcement officials who spoke with YSL News late last year described a group whose presence in the U.S. is limited and whose activities—mostly minor offenses aimed primarily at fellow migrants—are comparatively less severe than those of other, more entrenched gangs in the U.S.

Last week, authorities led by the DEA conducted a raid on a “makeshift nightclub” in Denver popular with suspected members of Tren de Aragua, resulting in the arrest of 49 individuals and the seizure of drugs and a substantial amount of cash, as per the DEA.

On Wednesday, several dozen ICE agents, equipped with body armor, pepper spray, and firearms, gathered in a Best Buy parking lot near central Denver after the raids, alongside two large buses with barred windows and three other armored vehicles.

Before 11:30 a.m., a group of ICE agents departed the staging area and walked across the street to a convenience store. The two barred buses departed shortly thereafter, leaving empty.

Martinez mentioned that he and his friends were briefly held as investigators searched the small apartment.

“They said they were looking for drugs,” Martinez explained. “There weren’t any drugs there, but there were numerous beer cans.”

He also stated that he did not know anyone who was arrested on that day.

Rabbi Rachel Kobrim, 51, visited Cedar Run following the morning raids to speak with residents and offer her support. As reporters dispersed throughout the complex to speak with residents after the federal officials had left, they encountered some workers loading their cars with cleaning supplies.

“I hope this will come to an end and that people will stand up for their neighbors, their children’s friends, those they work with, and those who work in our fields and stores,” Rabbi Kobrim expressed, leading the nearby Congregation Rodef Shalom.

Reported by: Lauren Villagran

(This is a developing story and updates will follow.)