Several Mexican food establishments involved
BY SAM VISE
FOR THE OBSERVER
EAST ALABAMA — Federal agents, supported by state and local officers, executed multiple search warrants in East Alabama on Tuesday morning as part of a fraud and drug investigation that led to the detainment of more than 40 undocumented individuals.
The operation, which involved agencies including the FBI, DEA, Homeland Security Investigations, Alabama Department of Corrections and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, primarily targeted Mexican restaurants, including El Jefe near the Auburn Mall and El Patron located in Tiger Town in Opelika.
Law enforcement called a press conference Tuesday afternoon at the Auburn Police Department, located at 141 N. Ross Street.
Officials said the raids are related to a federal indictment against Cesar Campos Reyes, 52, a Lee County resident. Reyes initially fled authorities, but was apprehended following a massive manhunt on Highway 80 near the Lee-Macon county lines. He is now in federal custody facing four counts of bank fraud, four counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
“The investigation is layered in criminality to include financial fraud, narcotics, weapons and harboring of illegal alien charges and components,” said Sara Jones, FBI Mobile Special Agent in Charge. “Today is a reflection of the Gulf of America Homeland Security Task Force’s commitment to keeping our communities safe.”
The indictment alleges that Campos Reyes is the registered agent of five restaurants: El Patron of Pensacola, El Patron of Pace, El Patron Mexican Grill of Prattville, Mariachis Mexican Grill Inc. and El Rey de Todos Mexican Grill and Cantina in Auburn. It is believed that he is the owner of El Patron and El Jefe in Lee County, although El Jefe shared a post on social media that the restaurant has been under new ownership as El Jefe Mexican Cuisine since 2023.
The indictment states that Campos Reyes fraudulently secured Paycheck Protection Program loans. He allegedly did this by falsifying documents connected to the restaurants targeted in the raids. Investigators believe around $225,000 in loan funds were then used for illegitimate purposes.
During the execution of the search warrants, law enforcement discovered significant quantities of methamphetamine, powder cocaine, crack cocaine, pills, at least 20 firearms and $100,000.
Three other individuals were arrested in connection with the raids. Two of them face charges for harboring undocumented immigrants, while the third was charged in relation to controlled substances.
“The individuals [detained] are currently in ICE New Orleans Field Office custody,” said Brian Acuna, Acting Field Office Director for ICE/Enforcement and Removal Operations.
“They’re going to be detained in some of our detention facilities here in the state of Alabama, and from there, they’re going to go through the due process that’s owed to them in their individual circumstances swiftly, and they’ll be removed from the United States after that point.”
Authorities reported that agents encountered more than 40 undocumented individuals during the operations, all of whom were detained by immigration officials.
“In many of the locations we investigated, we uncovered not only unlawful, unauthorized employment of aliens, but evidence that may point to a broader pattern of criminal conduct that includes narcotics distribution, as we saw from today’s seizures of fraudulent documents that may have been used as part of the employment and indicators of potential human smuggling,” said Steven Schrank, Special Agent in Charge with Homeland Security Investigations. “The hiring of individuals that are not authorized to work in the United States may seem like a labor issue to some. Let’s be clear, it’s a public safety issue. When employers knowingly hire illegal aliens, they create a magnet for exploitation, wage theft and unsafe conditions.”
Schrank said it is believed that Campos Reyes is undocumented as well.
“From the Middle District of Alabama’s perspective, I can’t get into what kind of started the investigation,” said Kevin Davidson, acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama. “As I said, not only are searches still ongoing, the investigation itself is still ongoing. Not only do I expect additional charges based on the people federally detained today, who were working on getting federal complaints signed against, I expect additional charges for other individuals as this investigation unfolds.”
Officials said the public was not affected during the raids and that law enforcement left the premises as soon as the searches concluded.
“We specifically timed the operations this morning in order to minimize the impact on the public, and we’re doing our very best, and have so far concluded a very safe and successful operation, but we’ve wanted to make sure that we minimize the impact on the general public,” Schrank said.
Davidson said the raids were executed with a clear purpose — “to protect the community.” He said he hopes these actions send a strong message that law enforcement remains vigilant and active.
“Today is a great day for law enforcement because it’s just a shining example of what we can accomplish when federal, state and local agencies partner together with the common objective, which is enforcing federal law and making our communities safer,” he said.
Although the general public was not allowed into the press conference, many concerned citizens waited in the lobby of the police department to share their thoughts with officials leaving the building.
“The people of the county are scared. We’re scared of law enforcement, we’re scared of ICE, we’re scared for our community members. We are scared,” said a citizen.
Many shouted “Shame!” at the officials leaving the building.
“Nobody complains about undocumented labor on Margarita Night,” said another. “They’re fine to profit off that. Nobody had a problem until it was politically convenient. You should be afraid. You should be afraid of what is happening to our military. You should be afraid of what’s happening with law enforcement coming into your house. Our civil liberties right now, you’re witnessing it in this room, are being taken. And if you think it’s just them, you wait, it’s coming for you, too.”
She said she has no faith in the government and that she “hopes that the city of Auburn understands that either they do something and stand up for Auburn, or we’ll have zero faith in them.”
Scott Bishop of Auburn echoed sentiments of solidarity.
“As a citizen, what I’d like to say is that what I really wish for is that we can stand up for our community members, even if they’re undocumented, because they’re our neighbors,” Bishop said. “I’d love to have that message sent to the council and to the mayor.”
