Immigration and Customs Enforcement said police in Aurora, Colorado, were unwilling to help after two illegal aliens escaped the city’s detention center on Tuesday.
The pair escaped that night after a power outage at the Denver Contract Detention Facility, according to Fox News.
Joel Jose Gonzalez-Gonzalez, 32, and Geilond Vido-Romero, 24, were last accounted for earlier that day at 2:00 p.m. during a facility head count.
Around 9:30 p.m., the power went out, and the two illegal aliens likely escaped through the facility’s back doors, which led to an open soccer field.
The facility wouldn’t realize the pair was missing until 12:35 a.m. on Wednesday.
ICE said it received a lackluster response after contacting Aurora police for help finding the escapees.
“Local authorities were notified immediately and declined to assist with the search,” a spokesperson for ICE said in a statement.
“ICE also notified additional state and federal law enforcement partners. The aliens are still at large and the search is ongoing,” the statement added.
Anyone with “information on the whereabouts of these individuals” was encouraged to call the ICE Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or fill out a tip form online.
BREAKING: ICE Denver confirms to @FoxNews that two illegal aliens are at large after escaping from an ICE detention facility in Aurora, CO. ICE says when they reached out to Aurora PD for immediate help with the search, they declined to assist. Both men are facing criminal… pic.twitter.com/6DiTG5abOt
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) March 20, 2025
Joe Moylan, the Aurora Police public information officer, said police weren’t notified of the incident until 2:30 a.m., two hours after the illegals were reported missing and five hours after the power outage.
“This was a cold event from the time we were notified about it,” Moylan said in a statement. “We are working with our federal partners to determine if the escapees have any connection to the city of Aurora. When the time comes that warrants are active and information is confirmed that these men are in Aurora, we will assist with the apprehension.”
UPDATE: Aurora PD responds – saying they weren’t notified about the missing inmates until 2 hours after they were confirmed gone. “This was a cold event”, APD says. They say if info confirms that the men have warrants and are confirmed to be in Aurora, they will help catch them. pic.twitter.com/y0T7rmnv5e
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) March 20, 2025
Power at the facility was still out Wednesday night, and as of Thursday the two escapees were still on the run.
Gonzalez-Gonzalez is reportedly 5-foot-7 and weighs about 165 lbs, according to KMGH-TV in Denver.
He has short black hair, brown eyes, and tattoos on both arms.
He reportedly entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico in 2013, and ICE arrested him on Feb. 12.
Vido-Romero is about 6 feet tall, weighing 185 lbs.
He reportedly entered the U.S. illegally from Venezuela in December 2023.
He was arrested by ICE on Feb. 27.
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