An federal raid of a remote racetrack in Idaho on Sunday afternoon led to criminal charges against five people, the capture of more than 100 people and a protest by about another 100 people against the government’s immigration enforcement.
The FBI said about 200 local, state and federal officers descended on La Catedral Arena racetrack in Wilder, Idaho, a small agriculture community about 35 miles west of Boise. Special agent Jacob Sheridan said agents acted on a February tip from a private citizen who lives near the track.
“An investigation by the Salt Lake City FBI’s Boise resident agency in coordination with the Treasure Valley metro violent crime and gang task force led to the discovery of an illegal gambling business at a horse track,” an FBI news release said Tuesday.
Federal criminal complaints were filed against Ivan Tellez, 37, of Wilder; Samuel Bejarano, 37, of Nyssa, Ore.; Dayana Fajardo, 39, of Nyssa, Ore.; and Alejandro Estrada, 56, of Buhl, Idaho. They were charged for their alleged roles in the operation, according to the FBI news release. César Orozco, a fifth suspect, was arrested in Meridian, Idaho, on Monday, according to Boise TV station KTVB.
“Over the weekend, (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) dismantled an illegal horse-racing, animal fighting and a gambling enterprise operation,” Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a separate news release Tuesday. “As part of the operation ICE law enforcement officers arrested 105 illegal aliens. Under President Trump and secretary (Kristi) Noem, we are dismantling criminal networks in the United States.”
Immigration attorney Nikki Ramírez-Smith told KTVB that some of the people captured Sunday have been released while others were taken to detention centers around Idaho and Utah.
KTVB said that, according to court documents filed in Boise, Tellez owns and operates the racetrack which is registered as a limited-liability corporation. He faces a federal charge of conducting an illegal gambling business. The charge carries maximums of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Sheridan said pari-mutuel bets were being taken at the track. He said that Tellez had a Canyon County permit allowing him to race horses but that the permit included a letter from the Idaho Racing Commission forbidding him from taking bets.
In the eight months it has been investigating the track, the FBI said Bejarano acted as a ringleader of the gambling and even posted betting documents on a Facebook page. A trace of his back account led to 36 transactions totaling about $17,000. Investigators told KTVB that this represented a small fraction of what they believe to have been illegal betting going back to 2023.
“Illegal gambling isn’t a victimless crime,” FBI special agent Robert Bohls said in the news release. “These operations can create an increase in violent crime, drug activity and violence, putting communities at risk.”
Videos posted on social media appeared to show children among the people who were rounded up Sunday. Those sparked a Monday protest in nearby Caldwell, Idaho, where KTVB said more than 100 people voiced their opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration policy.
Source link
