Federal Authorities Launch Nationwide Crackdown on Long-Existing Fraud Operation in Minnesota

Ron Vitiello, a senior adviser to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said federal authorities are using a “whole of government” approach to confront an organized fraud operation that has flourished in Minnesota for years.

Speaking on “Rob Schmitt Tonight,” Vitiello told guest host Bob Brooks that the scale and duration of the alleged fraud make clear officials “can’t claim to not know what was going on.” Public records and court activity tied to the case date back to at least 2017.

“This is a long-term problem,” Vitiello said. “It is, in fact, organized crime committed at the hands of people who came into the country undervetted or not vetted at all and crossed illegally.”

Vitiello stated that those individuals exploited government programs designed to help vulnerable communities, turning them into what he described as “a pipeline for the left” and “potentially for terrorists.”

“I don’t think it’s unique to Minnesota,” Vitiello added. “But now they have the attention of every American citizen, anybody that’s paying attention.”

As investigations deepen, federal agencies have expanded their involvement: The Department of Health and Human Services has cut off certain child care payments; the FBI and Department of Justice are conducting criminal investigations; the Small Business Administration has suspended borrowers tied to suspected fraud; and the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement are conducting enforcement operations, including in-person visits.

Vitiello said the administration is taking the matter up in investigations “both in the Congress, the executive branch.” He added that every level is “digging into the safety net that they provide that community, and they’re going to find out where all those dollars are and hold people to account.”

The enforcement push also includes immigration actions. The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed cases involving Somali U.S. citizens are being reviewed for possible denaturalization if citizenship was obtained fraudulently. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin has stated that U.S. law allows citizenship to be revoked when it is procured under false pretenses.

“That is the plan,” Vitiello said. “It is a whole of government approach.”

He added that individuals indicted and convicted will face prosecution, while those found to be in the country illegally or who lied to obtain legal status “are going to be sent back as well.”