GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — The arrest of University of Utah student Caroline Dias Goncalves came after information was shared in a group chat that included ICE agents and wasn't intended for immigration issues, according to the Mesa County Sheriff's Office.
Dias Goncalves, who has been in the U.S. since 2012 when she moved with family from Brazil, remains in a Colorado detention center following her June 5 arrest in Grand Junction.
The 19-year-old student was originally stopped by a Mesa County Sheriff's Office deputy for a traffic violation and released with a warning, only to be pulled over minutes later by ICE agents and arrested.
WATCH: Bodycam footage of the initial traffic stop
In a statement, the Mesa County Sheriff's Office said the deputy involved in the first traffic stop shared the information on a Signal chat group that includes local, state and federal law enforcement who participate in drug interdiction efforts on highways in western Colorado.
It was in that chat where ICE agents learned about Dias Goncalves.
"We were unaware that the communication group was used for anything other than drug interdiction efforts, including immigration," the sheriff's office said. "We have since removed all Mesa County Sheriff’s Office members from the communication group."
The sheriff's office added that an investigation showed that ICE agents had been using material collected in the chat for immigration purposes, which is against Colorado law and was only meant to be used to reduce illegal drug trafficking.
"Unfortunately, [the chat] resulted in the later contact between ICE and Miss Dias Goncalves."
Following her arrest, Dias Goncalves was brought to a detention center where she remains. She is scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday morning in Colorado.
