Federal Agents Left Behind "Death Cards" After Capturing Immigrants, Echoing Vietnam War Tactics

United States - Ekhbary News Agency

Federal Agents Left Behind "Death Cards" After Capturing Immigrants, Echoing Vietnam War Tactics

A disturbing incident involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents has ignited widespread controversy, following reports that officers left customized playing cards, colloquially known as "death cards," in the abandoned vehicles of immigrants detained in Eagle County, Colorado. This practice, starkly reminiscent of psychological warfare tactics employed by U.S. soldiers during the Vietnam War, has drawn immediate condemnation from immigrant rights groups and elected officials who denounce it as a calculated act of intimidation.

The events unfolded when immigrants were reportedly subjected to what local advocacy group Voces Unidas termed "fake traffic stops." According to eyewitnesses, ICE vehicles utilized red and blue flashing lights, mimicking local law enforcement, to deceive individuals into pulling over. When family members arrived at the scene in Eagle County, they found their loved ones' cars idling with hazard lights flashing, but the occupants had already been taken away. Inside the vehicles, they discovered customized ace of spades playing cards, bearing the inscription "ICE Denver Field Office" along with the address and phone number of the nearby Aurora detention facility. Alex Sánchez, president and CEO of Voces Unidas, expressed profound disgust, stating, "Leaving a racist death card behind after targeting Latino workers is an act of intimidation. This is not about public safety. It is about fear and control. It’s rooted in a very long history of racial violence.”

The symbolism of the "death card" carries a deeply unsettling historical resonance. During the Vietnam War, U.S. troops routinely used the ace of spades as a form of psychological warfare, leaving the cards on Vietnamese corpses or in villages to instill fear, often playing into perceived Vietnamese superstitions. Historical accounts detail instances where units like the 25th Infantry Division placed these cards in the mouths of the dead, and Company A, 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry of the 198th Light Infantry Brigade, known as the "Gunfighters," left custom cards proclaiming them "dealers of death." Even helicopter pilots occasionally dropped personalized calling cards from their gunships, with messages such as, "Congratulations. You have been killed through courtesy of the 361st. Yours truly, Pink Panther." This brutal legacy casts a chilling shadow over ICE's contemporary use of such imagery, reinforcing the perception of intentional psychological distress.

Sánchez clarified that the cards found in Eagle County were not random playing cards but rather custom-designed items, printed on stock paper and cut to card dimensions, explicitly for this purpose. This suggests a deliberate, pre-meditated strategy. In response to inquiries, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson stated that ICE’s Office of Professional Responsibility would "conduct a thorough investigation and will take appropriate and swift action." However, the ICE Denver Field Office itself has remained silent, failing to respond to questions regarding the cards or its agents' tactics, raising concerns about transparency and accountability.

This incident is not an isolated occurrence regarding controversial imagery used by immigration agents. Previous reports have highlighted Border Patrol agents wearing unofficial patches depicting a skull with a spade on its forehead, or a masked ICE officer with a patch showing a Viking skull over a Nordic "Vegvisir" symbol, which has been co-opted by far-right extremists. Another instance involved an ICE officer wearing a "DEPLORABLE" patch, a term adopted by supporters of former President Donald Trump. ICE and DHS have repeatedly failed to respond to requests for comment on these various patches, indicating a pattern of non-transparency and an unwillingness to address public concerns about agent conduct.

Senator John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) publicly denounced the cards on the Senate floor, highlighting their historical use by white supremacist groups to intimidate people of color. Sánchez further articulated the challenges in reporting such incidents, explaining that while Voces Unidas, primarily a legal aid organization, becomes aware of these details incidentally, investigating them is not their core focus. He emphasized that the rural Colorado communities they serve often distrust local law enforcement and mainstream human rights groups, making it exceptionally difficult to uncover and document such incidents. This raises the alarming possibility that these practices may be more widespread but remain largely unreported and unaddressed.

The use of "death cards" by federal agents is a deeply troubling development that transcends mere procedural misconduct. It signals a potential descent into tactics designed to instill fear and dehumanize vulnerable populations, echoing some of the darkest chapters of military psychological operations. A comprehensive and transparent investigation is imperative, alongside a critical re-evaluation of the culture and practices within federal immigration agencies to ensure they operate within the bounds of justice, human dignity, and accountability.

Ekhbary News Agency