In a shocking turn of events, two illegal immigrants managed to escape from a Colorado detention center on Tuesday.
The escape was reportedly facilitated by a power outage at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, which caused the back doors to unlock. The escapees have been identified as Joel Jose Gonzalez-Gonzalez, 32, and Geilond Vido-Romero, 24, who were last seen at the Denver Contract Detention Facility in Aurora during a facility-wide headcount at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.
According to The Blaze, the ICE detention center experienced a power outage around 9:30 p.m., leading to the unlocking of a door that leads to the soccer facility. Aurora City Councilwoman Danielle Jurinsky revealed this information to KDVR. An emergency count conducted by ICE agents at midnight revealed the absence of Gonzalez-Gonzalez and Vido-Romero, indicating a possible breakout.
In a statement released by ICE, the agency claimed that local authorities declined to assist in the manhunt for the escapees. "Two detainees escaped March 18 from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Denver Contract Detention Facility, in Aurora, Colorado. Local authorities were notified immediately and declined to assist with the search. ICE also notified additional state and federal law enforcement partners," an ICE spokesperson said.
Gonzalez-Gonzalez reportedly entered the U.S. in February 2013 through the El Paso Del Norte Port of Entry in El Paso, Texas. However, he violated his admission conditions, leading to his detention in Adams County Jail in Brighton on local charges. ICE issued a detainer request and arrested Gonzalez-Gonzalez on February 12, holding him at the Aurora detention facility pending immigration proceedings.
Vido-Romero, on the other hand, entered the U.S. near El Paso, Texas, in December 2023. Following his detention in Douglas County Jail in Castle Rock on local charges, ICE issued a detainer. An immigration judge had previously ordered his return to Venezuela, and he was being held at the detention center pending his deportation.
The Aurora Police Department claimed it was not notified about the escape until approximately 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday. "We received late notification about the incident, and upon response, learned the event occurred several hours prior," the department told KDVR. Aurora Police Public Information Officer Joe Moylan stated that the Aurora police are prepared to "assist with the apprehension" if the escapees are still in the city.
The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation stated that they were not notified about the escaped detainees. The Adams County Sheriff's Office said that it did not receive a request to assist ICE. The Colorado governor's office, however, confirmed that the State was asked to issue a 'be on the lookout' (BOLO) notice to law enforcement and sent out the standard notice.
Councilwoman Jurinsky expressed her displeasure at ICE's claims that Aurora officials refused to help with the manhunt. "To the people of Aurora, there is a state law here that supersedes the jurisdiction of the Aurora Police Department, ICE knows that," Jurinsky stated. "It's not a fair statement to say that we refused to get involved. This is completely on ICE."
Jurinsky also pointed out that ICE has not clarified whether the two illegal aliens are being held on civil or criminal detainers. "From what I understand, they are not being held on criminal detainers," she said. "If they were being held on criminal detainers, we would be able to get involved and start a fugitive roundup."
Despite reaching out to ICE for a response to Jurinsky's and local authorities' claims, The Blaze received no specific answers, only the same previously issued statement. "The aliens are still at large and the search is ongoing," ICE stated.
Login