If you have an event taking place in the Denver area, email information to carlotta.olson@gazette.com at least two weeks in advance. All events are listed in the calendar on space availability.

Monday

Sipping N’ Painting Hampden — “Northern Moon,” 6:30-8:30 p.m., Sipping N’ Painting Hampden, 6461 E. Hampden Ave., Denver, $35. Registration required: sippingnpaintinghampden.com.

Lo Moon — 7 p.m., Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St., Denver, $35 and up. Tickets: marquisdenver.com.

Full Sail — 7 p.m., Dazzle at Baur’s, 1080 14th St., Denver, go online for prices. Tickets: dazzledenver.com/#/events.

Your Friend Did What? — 7:30 p.m., Comedy Works Downtown in Larimer Square, 1226 15th St., Denver, $14. Tickets: comedyworks.com.

Graduate Woodwind Quintet – Juniper Winds — 7:30 p.m., Grusin Music Hall, Imig Music Building, 1020 18th St., Boulder, pay what you can. Online streaming available; cupresents.org.

Marty Friedman — With Nikki Stringfield & Patrick Kennison, 8 p.m., HQ, 60 S. Broadway, Denver, $30 and up. Tickets: hqdenver.com.

“Heart Strings” — Works by Lilian Lara and MCA Denver teens, through Feb. 2, MCA Denver, 1485 Delgany St., Denver, go online for admission prices; mcadenver.org.

“Dawoud Bey: Street Portraits” — Through May 11, Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway, Denver, go online for prices: denverartmuseum.org.

“De la Tierra: Reflections of Place in the Upper Río Grande” — Through May 23, History Colorado Center, 1200 Broadway, Denver, go online for prices: historycolorado.org/exhibit/de-la-tierra.

“Seeds of Inspiration” — Through May 26, Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., Denver, go online for prices; botanicgardens.org.

“Vanity & Vice: American Art Deco” — Through June 1, Kirkland Museum of Fine & Decorative Art, 1201 Bannock St., Denver. Go online for prices. Tickets: kirklandmuseum.org.

“SUSTAINED! The Persistent Genius of Indigenous Art” — Through Dec. 31, Denver Art Museum, Denver, go online for prices: denverartmuseum.org.

CARLOTTA OLSON, The Denver Gazette

Federal agents interrupted a party at a “makeshift nightclub” in north Denver early Sunday morning and arrested almost 50 people of undetermined immigration status, a large number of whom are reportedly affiliated with the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang. 

A spokesperson with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rocky Mountain Division told CBS Colorado that the immigration status of all the arrestees was “questionable” and being examined. 

DEA agents, along with others from the Denver offices of Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, conducted an early morning raid. They entered a building at 6600 block of North Federal Boulevard when had been coverted into a “makeshift nightclub,” as described by the DEA in a social media post.

Drugs, weapons and cash were seized. 

The operation targeted drug trafficking and members of the TdA gang, the DEA stated. 

After those 50 undocumented immigrants were taken into custody by the DEA, they were handed over to ICE, according to Steffan Tubbs of the DEA-Rocky Mountain Division.

An ICE spokesperson contacted Sunday morning did not want to comment on the specifics of its role in the bust or speculate on how many of the arrestees would be held locally on criminal charges or immediately deported. A spokesperson with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado also declined to comment Sunday morning about potential federal charges against the arrestees.

TdA gang activity partly to blame for unsafe conditions at several apartment buildings in Aurora. City officials there announced last week their intent to seek closure of the five remaining buildings in the Edge of Lowry complex at Dallas Street and East 12th Avenue. Residents have already been asked to vacate a sixth building in which a migrant couple was taken captive and beaten by alleged gang members late last year. 

Nineteen people were arrested last month by Aurora Police Department officers in December as a result of their investigation into that incident. Sixteen of the 19 arrestees were at that time believed to be TdA members. 

Aurora officials took over management of the buildings from CBZ Management. A judge appointed a new manager to oversee the sixth building as tenants seek new housing. They’ve been given a Feb. 18 deadline to be out of the Edge of Lowry apartments. 

The City of Denver announced Friday its own closure of a CBZ managed apartment building, also for reported unsafe living conditions. 

An undisclosed number of officers from local police agencies supported the federal raid.

Good morning, Broncos Country!

The Denver Broncos have played in 10 AFC Championship Games.

That sits fourth in NFL history behind the Pittsburgh Steelers (16), New England Patriots (15) and Las Vegas Raiders (11). Of those teams, only the Patriots have a better record in AFC title games than Denver. New England is 11-4, and the Broncos are 8-2.

The Broncos haven’t been to an AFC title game since the 2015 season but seem to have the path back. As the AFC Championship Game kicks off today from Arrowhead Stadium, these two teams give us a glimpse of the competition the Broncos have and what it’ll take for Denver to return to their 11th AFC title game.

Based on the results against the Bills and Baltimore Ravens this season, the Broncos aren’t close. But moves this offseason to give Bo Nix offensive weapons and shoring up the defense that dropped off the last month or so of the season will be huge. The first step was made getting into the AFC Playoffs. Now the franchise needs to take the next steps to reach the level of the Bills and the Chiefs.

For the last nine years, when the AFC title game has been played, Denver has seemed so far away from returning that you start to wonder if it ever will. For the first time since winning Super Bowl 50 and Peyton Manning retired, there’s hope. There’s a plan. There’s a quarterback, head coach, general manager, and ownership all aligned to get the Broncos back to competing for and winning the AFC Championship.

If all goes well this offseason, playing in Denver’s 11th AFC title game isn’t so far off after all.

And FUKC. Go Bills!

Broncos news

Denver Broncos offseason positional outlook: Outside linebackers | 9news.com
Bonitto has made this a position of strength. He’s also in position to strike it rich.

NFL news

How Dan Snyder views Commanders’ title run: ‘He … hates it’ – ESPN
Sources close to the ex-Commanders owner say he remains in denial over what led to his ouster from the NFL.

NFL playoffs conference championships: Picks, schedule, odds, injuries – ESPN
Commanders-Eagles and Bills-Chiefs are on deck Sunday. We preview both matchups, including game picks.

Source: Titans, Browns, Giants asked Shedeur Sanders to not practice at Shrine Bowl – Yahoo Sports
Sanders is widely viewed as one of the top two quarterback prospects in this upcoming draft.

NFL conference title game predictions: Who decides Super Bowl matchup?
The Super Bowl 59 matchup is almost set. Who will be the key figures who help determine the winners of the AFC and NFC title games?