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A Moment of Humanity Amid the Chaos

(Photo/Courtesy DEA RMFD)

DEA AGENT COMFORTS CHILD BY PLAYING VIDEO GAMES AFTER HIS MOTHER IS ARRESTED IN RAID AGAINST TREN DE ARAGUA

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In the middle of a federal operation targeting a dangerous criminal network linked to drug trafficking, weapons, and prostitution in the Denver metropolitan area, a photograph taken inside an apartment deeply moved even the agents involved in the action. A DEA officer, dressed in tactical gear, was photographed sitting next to a five-year-old boy, sharing a moment of comfort and humanity: the two played a video game while waiting for support for the child, whose mother had just been taken into custody.

The image was shared by the Rocky Mountain Field Division of the DEA (DEA RMFD) and aired by FOX21 News. In an exclusive interview with reporter Sarah Ferguson, Assistant Special Agent David Olesky explained that the boy had been found alone, asleep in a back room of an apartment occupied by a confirmed member of Tren de Aragua (TdA), a violent Venezuelan gang with operations in the U.S.

Child Found in Dangerous Environment

“When the agents entered, they thought the child was dead,” said Olesky. The discovery took place on Thursday, March 20, during one of three operations coordinated by the DEA, ICE, and other federal agencies. Six people were arrested, all Venezuelan nationals in irregular immigration status, two of whom were alleged members of the TdA. The child’s mother, detained earlier that same day, was found with “tusi”—also known as “pink cocaine”—still visibly in her nose.

A Moment of Humanity Amid the Chaos

This synthetic drug, highly dangerous, has been linked to several child overdose deaths in Colorado. According to Olesky, concern for the child arose during an interview with the woman. Upon entering the apartment, agents found drug remnants and paraphernalia within the child’s immediate surroundings. While other agents secured the area, a young officer stayed with the child, attempting to distract him from the trauma with a tactical shooting video game, which appears in the photo to be “Call of Duty: Warzone.”

Gaming Buddies for Three Hours

The shirtless boy, in pajamas, sat on a messy mattress, while the agent—who appears to be only a few years older than him, likely in his twenties—held the game controller. The scene reveals a human connection that went beyond the scope of the operation. “This is the heart of our agents,” said Olesky. “They know when to enforce the law and when to show compassion.”

For more than three hours, the child was cared for by DEA and ICE personnel until a temporary caretaker was located with the mother’s consent. “That child is an unintended victim of this criminal environment. As a father, it makes me angry to know he could have died in that place,” Olesky added.

The operation resulted in the arrest of a TdA member who had been sought by authorities for months and was connected to the notorious The Edge of Lowry Apartments on Dallas Street, considered a TdA operations hub in Aurora. The photograph is now becoming a symbol of the balance between the rule of law and compassion for the most vulnerable. “We’re going to remember that image for years,” Olesky concluded. “That was a good day’s work—one that reaffirms why we do this.”