MESA COUNTY, COLO. — July 30, 2025 — Mesa County Sheriff Todd Rowell issued a public apology and announced disciplinary actions following an administrative review into the June 5 detainment of Caroline Dias-Goncalves by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The incident stemmed from the unauthorized sharing of her personal information by a Mesa County deputy, which facilitated the federal stop.
Sheriff Rowell acknowledged that Deputy Alexander Zwinck shared information about Dias-Goncalves in a law enforcement group chat that included ICE and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) personnel. The Sheriff emphasized that Mesa County deputies should not have played any role in her detainment and stated, “I apologize to Miss Dias-Goncalves.”
The internal investigation concluded that the actions violated Colorado Senate Bill 25-276, a new law restricting local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement that had been signed just 13 days before the stop. Sheriff Rowell noted that while efforts were made to maintain boundaries between local and federal law enforcement, those boundaries were not upheld in this case.
Disciplinary measures were announced as follows:
- Deputy Alexander Zwinck: Three weeks (120 hours) unpaid leave, reassigned from the Western Colorado Task Force to patrol.
- Deputy Erik Olson: Two weeks (80 hours) unpaid leave, also reassigned to patrol.
- Sergeant Joe LeMoine: Two-day unpaid suspension.
- Lieutenant David Holdren: Formal letter of reprimand.
- Captain Curtis Brammer: Documented counseling.
The Sheriff’s Office has since implemented additional training on SB 25-276 to prevent future violations and has made the full investigative file available online for public review.
Rowell also expressed disappointment with Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser’s decision to file a lawsuit against Deputy Zwinck before the administrative review was completed. He criticized the move as premature and politically motivated, calling for equal enforcement of the law across all agencies involved in the incident, including other law enforcement officials who participated in the same group chat.
The Sheriff concluded the statement by reiterating his office’s commitment to accountability, legal compliance, and community trust.