Colorado driver says he's facing repercussions after refusing to tow vehicles tied to ICE operation

A tow truck driver in Colorado says he is facing consequences after refusing to tow vehicles connected to an immigration enforcement operation in Eagle County in January. It's the same operation in which some federal agents are accused of leaving ace of spades cards in the cars of detainees.

Instead of towing the vehicles, tow truck driver Jose Acevedo began recording the incident. He told CBS Colorado that he acted on impulse when he decided not to assist.

Acevedo, who is Mexican American, said his decision to stand in solidarity with his community has affected him personally.

"I got family that, you know, thanks to them, I was able to be born here and have an opportunity. I just acted out of impulse," said Acevedo. "My income has definitely taken an impact for it, but I have a clean conscience."

Acevedo said his boss limited his hours at work, but he expressed gratitude that his employer kept him on.

"He could have fired me. He could have been like, 'Hey, you know I have to lay you off," he said. "But instead he said, 'Work less days till all this blows over, and back in Eagle County, it still hasn't blown over."

Despite that, Acevedo said he does not regret his decision.

He said he witnessed an immigration agent return to one of the vehicles after people had been detained and place something inside on the passenger side. That item has since been identified as an ace of spades card, part of what has been known as "death cards." Ace of spades cards have long been associated with the Vietnam War and have been used as symbols of intimidation and death.

"I saw the immigration officer, after they loaded up the people, he went back to one of the vehicles and put something on the passenger side," Acevedo said. "I feel like they're using threatening tactics, intimidation tactics, to instill fear in the community."

In a statement following the incident, the agency acknowledged that it was aware of the reports and had quickly addressed the issue. The statement added that ICE "unequivocally condemns this type of action and/or officer conduct."

The agents accused of leaving the cards on the vehicles of immigrants detained in Eagle County have been removed from field duty in the wake of an internal investigation into the incidents, according to testimony in federal court from a senior official in the agency's Denver field office. They added that the agents remain employed, but are under investigation by the Department of Homeland Security.

The agency also defended its broader enforcement efforts, saying it maintains high professional standards while arresting and removing what it described as "dangerous criminal illegal aliens."

But Acevedo said what he saw that day told a different story.

"I don't think they see us as humans," he said.

He said the people detained did not appear to match the agency's description.

"Those people, if you see the video, they were in their working uniforms," Acevedo said. "They were in construction gear. They had steel-toe boots. The lady was in a hotel uniform, so they weren't criminals."

Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper also weighed in on X, posting in part that ICE "finally admitted in federal court that the agents involved have been removed from the field."

"That's not enough," Hickenlooper wrote. "We'll keep demanding accountability."