WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that it will be intensifying its efforts to crack down on widespread fraud within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
According to reports, in a statement, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said, "We are coming for you." In a press release on Monday, May 5th, the USDA detailed a sweeping operation led by its Special Investigations Unit in coordination with local law enforcement to track down those illegally taking funds from SNAP recipients.
The agency emphasized that SNAP-related-theft, particularly via electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card scams, has surged in recent years. According to the USDA, organized criminal groups, including international networks, are playing a central role in orchestrating these fraud schemes.
Rollins said, "Food Stamp Fraud stops NOW. If you are stealing from struggling families and the generosity of American taxpayers — WE ARE COMING FOR YOU." Officials said that criminals are using advanced methods such as card skimming devices to intercept benefits loaded onto EBT cards.
The USDA described the operations as part of a coordinated campaign representing "the largest effort to combat EBT fraud in United States Secret Service history." Acting Deputy Undersecretary of Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services John Walk described the culprist as "sick and depraved individuals who are stealing food from low-income Americans for their own profit."
He added, "It is especially disturbing when international criminal organizations siphon tax dollars away from SNAP beneficiaries to fund their own illicit activities." Among the operations detailed was a major surveillance campaign in California that targeted over 100 locations.
Authorities said it led to multiple arrests and the seizure of critical evidence. The crackdown, however, is not limited to one state as similar investigations are underway across the country with enforcement teams "strategically" placed to respond to suspicious activity."
In a post on social media, Secretary Rollins reaffirmed the administration's approach saying, "Under President Trump, @USDA is restoring law & order and protecting your hard-earned tax dollars." In her formal remarks attached to the announcement, Rollins praised the collaboration between federal agents and local authorities.
She said, "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." She also reiterated Trump's focus on enforcing "law and order." She added, "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."
This campaign against SNAP abuse aligns with broader enforcement actions taken by President Trump's administration, including measures against illegal immigrants who have criminal backgrounds and who have exploited public assistance programs. One notable case cited by officials involved Giomar Lopez Meireles, an illegal immigrant from the Dominican Republic, who admitted to defrauding the SNAP program of $213,000 in Rhode Island.
Prosecutors in that case said Meireles submitted "false applications for SNAP assistance" between September 2021 and November 2023, during Joe Biden's presidency. To reinforce his administration's hardline stance, President Trump signed an executive order shortly after starting his second term, titled "Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders."
The directive ordered federal agencies to eliminate any programmatic or inadvertent funding of illegal immigrants using taxpayer dollars.
According to reports, in a statement, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said, "We are coming for you." In a press release on Monday, May 5th, the USDA detailed a sweeping operation led by its Special Investigations Unit in coordination with local law enforcement to track down those illegally taking funds from SNAP recipients.
The agency emphasized that SNAP-related-theft, particularly via electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card scams, has surged in recent years. According to the USDA, organized criminal groups, including international networks, are playing a central role in orchestrating these fraud schemes.
Rollins said, "Food Stamp Fraud stops NOW. If you are stealing from struggling families and the generosity of American taxpayers — WE ARE COMING FOR YOU." Officials said that criminals are using advanced methods such as card skimming devices to intercept benefits loaded onto EBT cards.
The USDA described the operations as part of a coordinated campaign representing "the largest effort to combat EBT fraud in United States Secret Service history." Acting Deputy Undersecretary of Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services John Walk described the culprist as "sick and depraved individuals who are stealing food from low-income Americans for their own profit."
He added, "It is especially disturbing when international criminal organizations siphon tax dollars away from SNAP beneficiaries to fund their own illicit activities." Among the operations detailed was a major surveillance campaign in California that targeted over 100 locations.
Authorities said it led to multiple arrests and the seizure of critical evidence. The crackdown, however, is not limited to one state as similar investigations are underway across the country with enforcement teams "strategically" placed to respond to suspicious activity."
In a post on social media, Secretary Rollins reaffirmed the administration's approach saying, "Under President Trump, @USDA is restoring law & order and protecting your hard-earned tax dollars." In her formal remarks attached to the announcement, Rollins praised the collaboration between federal agents and local authorities.
She said, "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." She also reiterated Trump's focus on enforcing "law and order." She added, "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."
This campaign against SNAP abuse aligns with broader enforcement actions taken by President Trump's administration, including measures against illegal immigrants who have criminal backgrounds and who have exploited public assistance programs. One notable case cited by officials involved Giomar Lopez Meireles, an illegal immigrant from the Dominican Republic, who admitted to defrauding the SNAP program of $213,000 in Rhode Island.
Prosecutors in that case said Meireles submitted "false applications for SNAP assistance" between September 2021 and November 2023, during Joe Biden's presidency. To reinforce his administration's hardline stance, President Trump signed an executive order shortly after starting his second term, titled "Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders."
The directive ordered federal agencies to eliminate any programmatic or inadvertent funding of illegal immigrants using taxpayer dollars.
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