The Agriculture Department’s Special Investigations Unit, in conjunction with federal law enforcement partners, conducted operations in Southern California last week targeting people accused of  stealing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits from electronic benefit (EBT) cards, USDA said in a news release on Friday. 

“Theft of funds on SNAP EBT cards has dramatically increased in recent years,” USDA said.

“In such cases, criminals steal funds loaded onto EBT cards that SNAP recipients rely on to buy food by surreptitiously installing card skimmers, and cloning point of sale terminals enabling them to steal publicly funded benefits. Recent investigations show that international criminal organizations are heavily involved and benefiting from SNAP fraud.

“This week’s operations were part of the largest effort to combat EBT fraud in United States Secret Service history. The Secret Service, in partnership with the Homeland Security Investigations, El Camino Real Financial Crime Task Force, surveilled over 100 locations in southern California, including multiple SNAP retailers.

“These operations resulted in numerous arrests and the collection of high value evidence. The USDA Special Investigations Unit of the Food and Nutrition Service has investigators strategically located across the country focused on fighting SNAP retail fraud to safeguard American tax dollars from lining the pockets of criminals, including complicit retailers abusing SNAP.”

“These are truly sick and depraved individuals who are stealing food from low-income Americans for their own profit,” said John Walk, acting deputy undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services, who participated in the law enforcement efforts. 

“It is especially disturbing when international criminal organizations siphon tax dollars away from SNAP beneficiaries to fund their own illicit activities. I commend Secretary Rollins attention in fighting this fraud,” Walk said.

“Fraud will not be tolerated by the Trump administration,” Rollins said in the news release. 

“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.

“President Trump is restoring law and order. 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,” Rollins said.