COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — By Sunday afternoon, federal agents and local law enforcement officers had left the events space where the early morning DEA raid occurred. However, the signs from the raid remained.
Sunday, crews were cleaning the building's damage, which included boarding up opened doors and windows.
Several cars remained in the parking lot as those taken into custody had not returned. Friends and relatives of those taken into custody came to the scene to retrieve belongings left behind.
The parking lot was busy throughout the day, with people walking and driving by to see what occurred. According to longtime Colorado Springs resident Jorge Puentes, it's a moment when the community needs to be there for each other.
"Us Latinos carry a lot of weight in this country as workers. It doesn't matter where we work," said Puentes in Spanish. "We show up because it's what we have here and what we bring from our home countries."
Colorado Springs native James Tafoya said he was taken aback by what transpired.
"I've lived in numerous places in this area, but I like this area," said Tafoya. "These people have families. It's... hurting their families."
Others came to express support for those detained, like Zac Lounsbury.
"There was a lot of surprise," he said. "To see actions where that community is being torn apart and seeing neighbors targeted really goes against what I see as the values of Colorado Springs."
KOAA News5 also tried contacting the tenant of the space for comment, but have yet to hear back as of Sunday night.
he Secretary of State's office shows the business, Warike Events, is delinquent with the office for failing to file periodic reports. The business officially opened in Colorado back in 2023.
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Over 100 illegal immigrants and more than a dozen active-duty military members detained during raid
Over 100 undocumented immigrants and over a dozen active-duty military members were arrested in a DEA raid at an underground nightclub in Colorado Springs on Sunday.
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