ICE arrests Tren de Aragua gang member in Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) – A Tren de Aragua Venezuelan gang member has been arrested in Colorado Springs, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Denver confirmed on social media Tuesday.

According to an X post from the agency, ICE Denver arrested 30-year-old Pedro Rafael Cartaya-Rojas in Colorado Springs, with assistance from the El Paso County Sheriff's Office.

ICE Denver said Cartaya-Rojas, who is from Venezuela, illegally entered the U.S. on Nov. 20, 2023.

According to ICE Denver, Cartaya-Rojas is a TDA gang member who absconded from ICE's Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program, which allows undocumented immigrants to stay in the community under supervision as they move through immigration proceedings or prepare to leave the U.S.

Participants in the ATD program are thoroughly vetted by officers before enrollment for factors such as criminal history, immigration history and ties to the community, an ICE site on the program reads.

The arrest announcement comes just four days after the El Paso County Sheriff's Office announced ICE had identified and arrested several suspected TDA gang members in El Paso County.

READ MORE: ICE says Tren De Aragua Venezuelan gang members have been arrested in El Paso County