ICE, FBI Execute Mass Raid on Alleged Illegal Idaho Horseracing Operation

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Fire and ICE

A major raid executed by ten different law enforcement agencies on a private racetrack in Idaho that was allegedly hosting illegal horse betting has resulted in chaos, rubber bullets being fired, and claims by advocates that immigrants were targeted. 

200 law enforcement agents

Sunday’s raid on La Cathedral Arena involved around 200 law enforcement agents, including US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the FBI, who filed the criminal complaint and received clearance to serve a search warrant on the suspected gambling venue.

Social media influencer Paul A. Szypula took to X with footage of Sunday’s raid in Canyon County:

While four suspects named in the FBI’s warrant were taken into custody, Idaho News 6 stated multiple other people at the horse track “had their hands zip-tied or chained and were loaded into vans.” 

Parimutuel problems

One of the suspects taken into custody was La Cathedral Arena owner Ivan Tellez, 37. 

According to the FBI complaint, Tellez never applied for a license to host the parimutuel wagering taking place on Sunday even though he received a letter from the Idaho Racing Commission upon his permit application stating that parimutuel wagering was prohibited.  

The FBI alleges Tellez deposited about $100,000 into bank accounts over the past two years, but “did not provide a definitive answer to the loan officers on the source of funds.” 

In summary, the FBI complaint highlighted Tellez’s unexplained income, saying that he “is likely profiting from the illegal gambling operation taking place at La Catedral Arena.”

Another of the four main suspects, 37-year-old Samuel Bejarano, is allegedly the operation’s bookmaker and received wagers through Venmo and Zelle and even made multiple posts on Facebook about horse race betting.

Although ICE led a raid on a cockfighting and gambling farm in Mississippi in May, its involvement in Idaho was initially kept under wraps until the FBI confirmed the Homeland Security arm’s presence at La Cathedral. 

Emotions, bullets fly

ICE’s involvement in the Canyon County raid has drawn condemnation from many advocacy groups including Poder of Idaho, which represents the state’s Latinx and immigrant communities. According to the Idaho Statesman, Poder Executive Director Estefanía Mondragón told reporters that people arriving to protest the raids were fired upon with rubber bullets. 

Mondragón stated it was “absolutely ridiculous that we arrest and corral people into buses and separate them from their families.” 

these are our neighbors that we’re going after”

“I can’t believe it’s happening in Idaho. We’re a tight-knit community and these are our neighbors that we’re going after. It’s heartbreaking and a betrayal to our families here.”

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