11 homes, 22 cars & 2 restaurants raided in Yakima
YAKIMA, Wash. -- Yakima police, the FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided three homes Wednesday in Yakima.
Agents also raided 8 other homes, 22 cars and two Mexican restaurants.
Federal court documents indicate dozens of people are under investigation for possession of counterfeit identification documents and falsely claiming to be U.S. citizens.
Both El Mirador restaurants are under scrutiny for knowingly hiring Illegal aliens.
The documents say more than 30 current or former employees provided false documents to gain employement. Ten of those employees had their counterfeit photos taken inside one of the restaurants. Six were wearing El Mirador uniforms in those pictures.
"Pretty shocking to know that (the raid happened) right there," said Neighbor Jessica Jay said. "I really didn't know that stuff was going on."
KIMA learned several of those taken into custody are suspected of using counterfeit birth certificates, driver's licenses, travel documents and financial records. Federal Court papers also showed investigators confiscated a computer and digital camera containing photos for the phony documents.
The raid began around 8:30 Wednesday morning on the 700 block of 3rd Avenue.
Agents cuffed a half dozen people from the three homes.
The stretch of 3rd Avenue between Peach Street and Arlington was blocked off for about two hours.
Neighbors say they never expected to see this.
This is a developing story. Stay with Action News, KIMATV.com, Facebook and Twitter for updates.
30 past or current employees and the owner of the restaurants "claims" he didn't know in a supporting article when a good portion of the employees are pictured in the restaurant wearing the uniforms for supporting documentation... Employers are required to obtain and keep records of documentation NOT create them..I hope he loses this business and finds himself on the south side of the US/Mexican border permanently..along with his illegal friends
Thats just a drop in the bucket but keep up the good work !!! makes me so mad when hard working people lives are ruined when their identity has been stolen !!! GGRRRRRR !! I better stop typing or my fingers will write things that will definately "offend" people !!!!
Get 'em outta here, send their kids with them, and seal up the borders. We have enough problems of our own, we don't need other countries' problem children. It's stealing, lying, cheating and we don't need more of that here. Want to come here? Do it legally, learn the language, become a productive member of society.
i think it is hilarious that they did the photos in their work uniforms IN the restaurants . stupidity ala be careful the plate is hot.
Mindy there is no "up side" to social security fraud..Don't have to pay out benefits? What about early retirement for those that cant compete against slave labor, or the disabilities that come from trying to compete in a lopsided battle? Not to say there aren't windfalls.. but when you get asthma attacks for your efforts trying to fill the sails, its kind of pointless
My question is why do they need to show the homes of the people that were caught? Just a concern. That's a type of privacy that should not be out in public.
 @haerrc0astrece What privacy ??? They gave that right up when they did it illegally !
Â
This  happens every where......people just havent got caught yet....like they did
ICE is finally doing their job! This is where the criminal aspect of illegal immigration and counterfeit documents/forgery should finally be exposed. People say that illegal immigration doesn't hurt anyone. But when it comes to them forging documents, counterfeiting identifications, and identity theft and other criminal aspects, these criminal acts cost people money in identity theft recovery costs and costs associated with law enforcement. This is why border security and enforcement needs to be the priority in any immigration reform.
 @Darrell what do you mean FINALLY! The agents have always done their job...if remember the Ellensburg arrests...the agents were chastised by the ICE political hacks because of Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell...siding with the illegal aliens....this case is a spin off from that operation..
 @DarrellÂ
 @Darrell : It's fake social security numbers. upside is that social security gets the money and never has to pay out, the downside is thqat somebody, somewhere is going to have a lot more income show up on their taxes than they actually made.
Â
 @Mindy Coulson the number citizens who have had their credit ruined by the practice of assuming another person's identity is huge...I saw quite a bit of it in my time working as an investigator....not only that it's a felony to procure false SS Cards, Green Cards and filing a false I-9...
 @Mindy Coulson Actually, those #'s often get assigned to real people. There have been several stories how credit was destroyed. There's too much crime going on in Yakima and having an entire network providing false documentation and SS#'s is fraud at a pretty high level. If any legal citizen did that, it could be considered Racketeering and charged under the RICO statures.I don't know what the solution is going to be and really, it's sad Yakima took so long to get on the ICE list bc that just, imo, encouraged people to come here thinking Yakima was a safe haven for illegal immigration.We have programs in place for farm workers from the South of our border to come work. The owners of these AG businesses don't want to pay that wage so they've ENCOURAGED illegal immigration. The farmers should start forking out some of those BILLIONS they're raking in to pay people who are here legally a decent wage... AND ALL EMPLOYERS should have to pay to get these people they've hired back home with their belongings and families. 30 years of illegal immigration is going to include a lot of kids that are legal citizens. DSHS should also have to help get everyone home and kept together if they have also aided in encouraging all this illegal immigration and fraud.How the * did people think these guys were working?? It's either cash or false documents.. how dumb everyone has pretended to be!!I understand the raids on creating false documents. People working should be able to go home and gather up EVERYTHING rather then end up in those wagons.