By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday, Oct. 21, that Immigration and Customs Enforcement had arrested five foreign nationals accused of illegally obtaining Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, marking the beginning of a broader federal operation targeting alleged welfare fraud.
The arrests involve four Haitian nationals and one Cuban national whom DHS identified as living unlawfully in the United States. The department said additional investigations and arrests are planned as the Trump administration increases enforcement against individuals suspected of obtaining government assistance through fraudulent means.
In its official announcement, DHS described the arrests as the initial phase of a sustained Immigration and Customs Enforcement campaign focused on SNAP benefits.
“These arrests mark the opening salvo in a sustained, large-scale ICE operation specifically targeting illegal aliens who have fraudulently accessed SNAP benefits that American taxpayers fund exclusively for U.S. citizens in need. Every one of these individuals entered the country unlawfully, then proceeded to draw from a program designed to feed struggling American families, in some cases while carrying criminal records,” the department stated. <Cite ref=”turn527153search2″/>
The individuals identified by DHS are Elizabeth Povea Rodriguez, a Cuban national, and Haitian nationals Jhensly Charles, Louis Jean, Wilbert Jean Baptiste and Rubstony Junior Theodore.
According to the department, Rodriguez has a previous disorderly conduct conviction and was arrested on allegations involving battery and domestic violence. Theodore has a history of arrests involving larceny, obstruction of law enforcement officers and trespassing.
DHS did not identify comparable criminal histories for Charles, Jean or Jean Baptiste. The department also did not provide individual SNAP fraud amounts, locations of the arrests or detailed charging documents establishing how each person allegedly obtained benefits.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the administration intends to continue identifying individuals suspected of unlawfully receiving federal assistance.
“Illegal aliens who have no right to be here in the first place are the last people who should be using SNAP benefits and other forms of welfare,” Mullin said.
“These programs are for Americans only. Even non-violent illegal alien crime can still have devastating consequences when they’re defrauding the American taxpayer. The illegal alien fraudsters that we’ve already arrested and deported are just a drop in the bucket, and the Trump Administration is committed to going after all these thieves and bringing them to justice.”
Federal law generally prohibits immigrants living in the United States unlawfully from receiving SNAP benefits for themselves. Certain categories of lawfully present noncitizens may qualify, however, and eligible U.S. citizens can receive assistance even when other members of their households are ineligible.
SNAP, commonly known as food stamps, provides monthly grocery assistance to qualifying low-income households through electronic benefit transfer cards. Fraud can involve identity theft, false applications, unauthorized transactions or exchanges of benefits for cash and other prohibited purchases.
The ICE operation coincides with a separate nationwide enforcement initiative announced Wednesday by the Justice Department, the Department of Agriculture and USDA’s Office of Inspector General.
Federal prosecutors reported identifying nearly $42 million in alleged or proven SNAP fraud during an enforcement surge conducted between Sept. 1 and Oct. 21. Including other USDA assistance programs, the cases involved nearly $45 million in intended losses and enforcement actions against more than 40 defendants.
The operation involved the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division, 13 U.S. attorneys’ offices and the Utah Attorney General’s Office.
According to the Justice Department’s announcement, the cases include criminal indictments, complaints, guilty pleas and sentences. Some involve stolen EBT account information, while others concern fraudulent retailers and the misuse of agricultural assistance. <Cite ref=”turn527153search0″/>
Attorney General Todd Blanche said investigators had disrupted schemes involving substantial losses to government programs and participating households.
“These schemes siphoned millions from taxpayers and robbed struggling Americans of the benefits they depend on so fraudsters could use them for their own selfish purposes,” Blanche said. “Through our partnership with the Department of Agriculture, this nationwide surge exposed and disrupted criminal networks that targeted vulnerable American families. The Department of Justice will continue working to root out fraud in every federal agency and program.”
One of the largest cases involves approximately $29.7 million in alleged fraudulent SNAP transactions at authorized food stores in Chicago. Prosecutors contend that the operators processed transactions using stolen benefit information without completing legitimate food sales.
Other investigations have involved fraudulent EBT accounts, the theft and resale of infant formula purchased with stolen benefits, and individuals accused of exchanging food assistance for cash or unauthorized products.
The nearly $42 million identified by federal prosecutors represents the broader nationwide SNAP enforcement effort. DHS has not established that the five individuals named in Wednesday’s immigration announcement were responsible for that total or that their individual cases account for a specified portion of it.
The department also did not identify how many additional arrests it expects to make or provide a timetable for the expanded enforcement campaign.
The arrests were highlighted in social media coverage of the DHS operation, while a separate post circulated the federal fraud enforcement announcement.
DHS said the initiative would continue as investigators review suspected benefit fraud involving unauthorized immigrants. Federal officials have emphasized that enforcement efforts are intended to protect taxpayer funds and preserve assistance for eligible households.
The allegations against individuals who have not been convicted remain subject to judicial proceedings. Previous arrests or immigration violations do not independently establish guilt in a SNAP fraud case.
The administration has not released a comprehensive estimate of how much SNAP fraud specifically involves people living in the country unlawfully. The latest enforcement figures reflect a wider range of suspected schemes involving multiple defendants and different federal assistance programs.
ICE and federal prosecutors are expected to continue coordinating investigations as the administration expands efforts to identify fraudulent benefit claims, recover improperly obtained funds and pursue criminal or immigration enforcement where authorized by law.
Original article
Comments