DENVER — Two people with ties to Mexican drug cartels were arrested and 130,000 fentanyl pills were seized in a Drug Enforcement Administration raid Monday in Denver, the federal agency told Denver7 Investigates.
The bust happened on the first floor of a building at 1121 S Quebec Street Monday morning. The individuals arrested were part of a drug trafficking organization with direct connections to the Sinaloa and Jalisco drug cartels – two of the most prominent in Mexico.
The arrestees were in the U.S. illegally, according to the DEA. They were in custody and would face state charges, Denver7 Investigates learned.
Along with the fentanyl seizure, authorities found cocaine, methamphetamine and heroin at the scene.
One woman, Laurel Munoz, lives in the apartment complex and was shocked to hear the magnitude of the operation.
"Within the last, I would say year-and-a-half things have changed," she said, referring to the complex's conditions.
"It's too bad because I love my apartment. I have a beautiful little situation here, but I do think it may be my last few months here because I have to get out of this situation."
The Monday bust came a little more than 24 hours after 49 people were arrested during a raid of a party involving members of the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua.
Another neighbor told Denver7 Investigates the circumstances are "pretty frightening."
"I mean this apartment complex (has) just gotten worse. Maintenance-wise, people around, the stuff that happens. you know. It’s just not good," she said.
Denver7 Investigates
TdA invitation-only party: DEA raid in Adams County ends in 49 arrests
It's all part of a nationwide crackdown on immigration enforcement that began in earnest over the weekend. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reported making nearly 1,000 arrests across the country on Sunday, compared to a daily average in the last fiscal year of 311 daily arrests, according to the Associated Press.
- In the video player below, watch Denver7 Investigates' full coverage from Monday's 5 p.m. newscast.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that the two people arrested Monday were in the U.S. illegally. A previous version indicated they were in the U.S. legally.
