Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services John Walk joined investigators from the Department of Homeland Security in Los Angeles this week to participate in targeted law enforcement operations. Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Agriculture

WASHINGTON, D.C., MD (MPG) - U.S. Department of Agriculture Special Investigations Unit, in conjunction with Federal law enforcement partners, conducted operations this week to target criminals engaged in defrauding American taxpayers by stealing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

“Fraud will not be tolerated by the Trump Administration. I want to thank our hardworking law enforcement officers who work every day to ensure federal benefits are properly distributed and safeguard taxpayer dollars from criminals,” said Brooke Rollins, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. “President Trump is restoring law and order. At USDA we are fighting back against fraud and misuse of taxpayer dollars and ensuring those who need and qualify for benefits, actually receive them.”

Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services John Walk joined investigators from the Department of Homeland Security in Los Angeles that w to participate in targeted law enforcement operations. Theft of funds on SNAP EBT cards has dramatically increased in recent years. In such cases, criminals steal funds loaded onto EBT cards that SNAP recipients rely on to buy food by surreptitiously installing card skimmers, and cloning point of sale terminals enabling them to steal publicly funded benefits. Recent investigations show that international criminal organizations are heavily involved and benefiting from SNAP fraud.

“These are truly sick and depraved individuals who are stealing food from low-income Americans for their own profit,” said Acting Deputy Under Secretary John Walk. "It is especially disturbing when international criminal organizations siphon tax dollars away from SNAP beneficiaries to fund their own illicit activities. I commend Secretary Rollins attention in fighting this fraud."

These operations were part of the largest effort to combat EBT fraud in United States Secret Service history. The Secret Service, in partnership with the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) El Camino Real Financial Crime Task Force, surveilled over 100 locations in southern California, including multiple SNAP retailers. 

These operations resulted in numerous arrests and the collection of high value evidence. The USDA Special Investigations Unit of the Food and Nutrition Service has investigators strategically located across the country focused on fighting SNAP retail fraud to safeguard American tax dollars from lining the pockets of criminals, including complicit retailers abusing SNAP.