Two Colorado deputies have faced consequences for sharing information with federal immigration agents, violating a state law implemented recently. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser sued Mesa County Sheriff’s Deputy Alexander Zwinck after he cooperated with federal immigration agents on a drug task force, leading to the arrest of a Brazilian college student for an expired visa.
Mesa County Sheriff Todd Rowell explained that 19-year-old nursing student Caroline Dias-Goncalves was stopped by Zwinck for a traffic violation on June 5. Although she was let go with a warning, federal immigration agents detained and arrested her shortly after. Zwinck had shared her location and vehicle description with ICE agents in a group chat, resulting in her arrest and detention.
Following an internal investigation, it was discovered that another Mesa County deputy, Erik Olson, also shared immigration information with federal agents. Both deputies used a Signal chat to provide information to federal agents to aid in immigration enforcement efforts.
Zwinck received three weeks of unpaid leave and Olson two weeks of unpaid leave, with both being removed from the task force. Additionally, two supervisors faced disciplinary actions. Rowell expressed regret over the incident and apologized to Dias-Goncalves for the role of the Sheriff’s Office in her detention.
The deputies claimed they were following established procedures, despite evidence of emails outlining restrictions on cooperation with immigration officials. Zwinck stated he was unaware of the new law, while Olson believed sharing information with federal agents during traffic stops was standard practice.
The sheriff criticized the Attorney General for filing a lawsuit against Zwinck before completing the internal investigation, calling for the lawsuit to be dropped. Weiser mentioned that he was investigating other officers in the group chat for potential violations of state law.
Overall, the incident highlights the complexities surrounding state laws and immigration enforcement, with ongoing legal actions and investigations to ensure compliance and accountability.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
