'My undercover agents are incredibly brave': DEA RMFD on what led up to underground nightclub operation in Colorado Springs

Yahoo

30-04-2025

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — An illegal underground nightclub had been a 'problem in Colorado Springs for quite a while,' according to Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen of the Drug Enforcement Administration's Rocky Mountain Field Division (DEA RMFD), who further added that the operation in the early morning hours of Sunday, April 27, was 'months in the making.'
During a press conference held after Sunday's operation, Pullen said throughout the investigation, it was learned that Tren de Aragua (TdA) and MS-13 members had been in the illegal club.
'I think the people of Colorado Springs should be extremely concerned about information regarding MS-13 and TdA members; in fact, we know that Sinaloa Cartel members were providing the drugs for that nightclub, so that should shock you,' he added.
Pullen credited the bravery of his team, who gathered the information. 'My agents have been in that club undercover and witnessed these people,' he said. 'We are still trying to identify whether MS-13 and TdA were in there on Saturday night, Sunday morning.'
According to Pullen, MS-13 or Mara Salvatrucha is an El Salvadoran gang by history, and is all across the United States. 'We don't have as large of a presence here in Colorado as they do on the East Coast… we see a lot more of the TdA, the Venezuelan gang, here in the Denver and Colorado Springs areas.'
Pullen further explained that MS-13 and TdA are 'incredibly violent organizations.' In February 2025, both gangs were designated by the Department of State as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).
'Here in the Denver area, we've seen kidnappings and robberies and shootings and homicides,' he said. 'These are not people you want to be your neighbors, and that's one of the reasons the federal government decided, 'we've got to get these people out of our country.''
Pullen said that in addition to MS-13, TdA, and the Sinaloa Cartel, another group was also identified through the investigation.
'On previous occasions at this nightclub, we've seen Bandidos motorcycle gang members inside.' He added that it's not unusual to see these groups working together. 'They are definitely going to work with each other if it's going to make them some money… or, if an MS-13 guy needs a gun and he can get it from a Venezuelan guy, guess what? He's going to do that.'
Pullen said the underground nightclub had moved to various addresses before the location of Sunday's bust, which was near South Academy Boulevard and Airport Road.
'So, the DEA developed some information a number of months ago and we started doing our work,' said Pullen. 'We started doing some surveillance, we started building out an informant network, we started doing some undercover operations, some technical surveillance, and so, through all of that, we identified that there was drug trafficking going on, that there was crimes of violence going on, there was active-duty military members running security at this place, tons of calls of service for the police department to come out there, [and] overdoses happening.'
Pullen gave an example of the depths some inside the club went to in order to avoid being caught.
'There was one guy a few weeks ago that overdosed, and they actually drove him down the street about a mile and dumped him out, and then they called 911, so they wouldn't bring any police to the nightclub,' he added.
He also recounted another incident.
'My agents were out there two weeks ago, and a couple of guys were going to the club, and my agents on surveillance observed these people driving up and down the road shooting their pistols out the window of the car, so just an insane amount of criminal activity, and so we are really happy that we were able to do something about it,' Pullen said.
Pullen said that a member of the community reached out after Sunday's operation.
'Yesterday morning, Monday, my office received a call from a neighbor who lived across the street from the nightclub, and he called the DEA office, thanking the men and women here for taking action there,' he recalled. 'He had been so concerned about the safety for himself and for his family, and in fact, he told his family: 'We are not going to that parking lot on the weekends because all of this nonsense happening over there, it's not safe,' so it was so important to the men and women of DEA and our law enforcement partners to get a call like that, to see that the work we are doing matters to the public.'
During Sunday's operation, the DEA was assisted by 300 law enforcement personnel representing 10 other federal agencies and local partners, including the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) and the El Paso County Sheriff's Office (EPSO).
'We have all these varying crimes occurring at this place, so we really, kind of, brought together a federal task force to look at the entirety of the criminal activity,' he said.
Pullen also gave a personal nod to his team.
'My undercover agents are incredibly brave; they are going into this nightclub knowing that there is armed security there, who have committed acts of violence, and knowing that there are gangsters in there, knowing that there are drug sales going on in there, and so, there is a risk, an absolute risk, and so, I hope the people of Colorado Springs realize, that the men and women of the DEA and our law enforcement partners, we are serious about keeping Colorado Springs safe,' he said.
Pullen said the undercover agents were able to capture critical intelligence during the investigation: 'We were able to get a number of how many people were there, how many armed security guards were there, [and] what drug dealers were inside.'
He added that the DEA's message to the community remains the same: 'We are serious about keeping drug dealers out of your community; no level of drug dealing is acceptable to us in Colorado Springs, and I think this operation shows that.'
He ended with this message to the community:
'I think some of the concerns of people about whether charges are going to be filed and the questions around immigration, look, there is criminal activity happening at this club, so the point for us is: What level of crimes of violence are you willing to accept in your community? What level of drug trafficking are you willing to accept in your community? What level of prostitution are you willing to accept in your community? I think it should be zero, and I think the people of Colorado Springs think that as well, so we are committed to keeping your city safer.'
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