ICE Operations Result in Arrests in Denver Metro Area

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently detained 243 undocumented immigrants during a nine-day operation in the Denver Metro area that concluded on Wednesday. These individuals hailed from 17 different countries, and some had serious criminal backgrounds.

From July 12 to July 20, this immigration enforcement effort led to the capture of a known associate of the Tren de Aragua (TDA) gang from Venezuela, along with individuals linked to Mexican drug cartels and various other criminal entities.

The detained individuals included those with significant criminal histories. Examples include one person facing murder recruitment charges, another involved in trafficking, along with several previously convicted for serious offenses such as sexual assault and various forms of assault.

The immigrants currently slated for removal include individuals from places like Mexico, Venezuela, and various countries in Central and South America, as well as from regions such as Jordan and Ethiopia. Notably, fifty of those arrested are subject to immediate removal due to outstanding deportation orders.

Among the most serious cases captured during this operation are:

• Rigoberto Carranza-Mendez, 47, a Mexican national with convictions for murder and DUI, who has already been barred from entering the U.S.
• Jonondris Daniel Rodriguez, 28, a Venezuelan citizen linked to the TDA gang.
• Nicolas Diaz Hernandez, 51, also from Mexico, who has a history of crimes including criminal impersonation and drug distribution, and is affiliated with the Los Zetas Cartel.
• Blanca Ochoa Tello, 36, another Mexican national, found with about 20,000 fentanyl tablets at the time of her arrest.
• Javier Ulyze Sanchez Andazola, 24, a Mexican citizen convicted of sexual assault against a child and DUI.

The U.S. government has designated both the Tren de Aragua gang and the Los Zetas as foreign terrorist organizations.

Robert Guadian, the director of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Field Operations, noted that several individuals arrested during this operation had been released from the Denver County Jail due to the Colorado Sanctuary Act, which complicates cooperation between local jails and ICE.

The Denver ICE Enforcement and Removal Office (ERO) led the operation, receiving help from a variety of law enforcement agencies, including ERO Dallas, Homeland Security Investigations in Denver, and others like the DEA and FBI.