Minnesota fraud investigation ramps up with new raids

Federal and state law enforcement executed search warrants in Minnesota early on April 28 in connection with an ongoing fraud probe that has embroiled the state, officials said.

The FBI and other agencies engaged in court-authorized activity as part of a fraud investigation, the Department of Justice confirmed. The agencies involved include the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations.

"If you commit fraud in Minnesota you’re going to get caught – and that’s exactly what we saw today," Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said. "Today’s raids by state and federal law enforcement happened because our state agencies caught irregular behavior and reported it. That’s how the system is supposed to work, and our agencies will keep at it as long as there are fraudsters around to put behind bars."

Childcare facilities were among the targets of the April 28 actions, reported CBS News and Fox News. Federal agencies did not respond to USA TODAY questions about where the search warrants were executed or whether anybody was arrested.

"The task force and the DOJ will be relentless in exposing these fraudsters wherever they may be hiding," Vice President JD Vance said in a post on social media on April 28.

The operation comes months after the federal government halted $259 million in Medicaid payments to the state amid the fraud probe. The Trump administration also tied its ramp-up of immigration enforcement actions in Minneapolis and around the state to the fraud activity. The fraud scandal also saw Walz drop out of the race for re-election.

Walz, who was Kamala Harris' running mate on the 2024 Democratic ticket for the White House, said the actions on April 28 were the result of joint investigations between state and federal agencies, while repeating calls for investigations into the shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal immigration officers earlier this year.

USA TODAY has reached out to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for comment. The city of Minneapolis said in a statement that it was not involved in the raids, and acknowledged federal operations may spark fear in residents after months of Operation Metro Surge.

The Justice Department said earlier this year it has charged 98 people in relation to fraud in Minnesota, and more than 60 have pleaded guilty or been convicted. The majority of those charged are Somali Americans, and most are naturalized U.S. citizens. The cases, which were first brought during the Biden administration, include the alleged exploitation of federal tax dollars that were intended to feed children earlier in the COVID pandemic.

Tom Emmer, the Republican House majority whip who represents Minnesota's sixth district, thanked the agencies for taking action against "fraudsters" on April 28.

"President Trump and his administration have made it crystal clear – our country will not tolerate waste, fraud, and abuse, and we are not going to allow people to take advantage of Americans’ generosity," he said.