Full Breakdown
ICE Launches Nationwide Operation Targeting Illegal Immigrants for Alleged SNAP Fraud
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced a nationwide operation aimed at individuals who entered the United States unlawfully and are accused of fraudulently obtaining Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identified five arrestees: Cuban national Elizabeth Povea Rodriguez and Haitian nationals Rubstony Junior Theodore, Wilbert Jean Baptiste, Louis Jean, and Jhensly Charles. DHS said each entered the country illegally and accessed SNAP benefits, though the announcement did not disclose the amount of benefits involved or specific SNAP-related charges. DHS described the arrests as the “opening salvo” of a sustained ICE operation targeting illegal immigrants who allegedly defraud federal food-assistance programs.
Background & Context
SNAP provides monthly assistance to low-income households for purchasing food. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that SNAP served an average of 42.1 million participants per month in FY 2025, with federal spending of $101.7 billion and an average benefit of $187.94 per participant per month.
In July 2025, Congress enacted the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, tightening eligibility rules and expanding work requirements for SNAP. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities noted a drop of more than 5 million people (?13 %) between July 2025 and June 2026, the lowest enrollment in 17 years.
The Justice Department, the Department of Agriculture, and the USDA Office of Inspector General have also been conducting a broader crackdown on SNAP and other USDA program fraud.
Data & Statistics
- SNAP participation: 42.1 million monthly participants (FY 2025).
- Federal SNAP spending: $101.7 billion (FY 2025).
- Justice Department actions (Sept 1 – Oct 21): more than 40 defendants, nearly $45 million in alleged losses, with $42 million tied to SNAP.
- Largest alleged scheme: $29.7 million SNAP fraud by Jorag Yaseen and Rami Kanaan (Ohio).
- Other notable cases: $4.4 million scheme involving rapper Mercedes New; $1 million scheme in Ohio exchanging SNAP benefits for cash and marijuana; Dominican national Rodolfo Armando Fernandez Guzman allegedly obtained $22,402 in SNAP benefits plus over $144,000 in other assistance.
- USDA OIG convictions (2015-2024): 2,192 SNAP-related convictions.
Timeline
- July 2025: Enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
- Sept 1 – Oct 21: DOJ, USDA, and 13 U.S. attorneys’ offices, with the Utah Attorney General’s Office, acted against more than 40 defendants in the SNAP-fraud crackdown.
- Week of the operation announcement: DHS announced the ICE operation and identified the five arrestees.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The DHS announcement did not disclose the specific amount of SNAP benefits allegedly obtained by the five individuals, nor how they accessed the program or any SNAP-related criminal charges. Officials have not confirmed whether the ICE arrestees are among the defendants named in the DOJ’s separate crackdown, leaving an evidentiary gap regarding the overall scope of alleged fraud.
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*This article synthesizes information from multiple news reports to present a factual overview of the ICE SNAP-fraud operation and related federal enforcement actions.*