FBI agents raided 22 businesses in Minneapolis on Tuesday as part of a fraud investigation [1].
The operation targets a suspected billion-dollar social-services scandal [5]. This investigation focuses on the alleged misuse of federal COVID-19 relief funds that were funneled through Minnesota safety-net programs, including housing services, and child-care facilities [2, 4].
Federal officers targeted a total of 22 businesses [1], though other reports describe the scale as over 20 businesses [3] or more than 20 locations [2]. Many of the targeted firms are Somali-owned [2]. The raids involved agents returning to the Twin Cities area to target daycares suspected of participating in the fraud [4].
Investigators are examining how federal funds intended for pandemic relief were distributed through state programs. The scope of the probe involves approximately 20 sites in follow-up actions [4]. The FBI has not released a list of the specific businesses raided or the number of individuals facing charges.
Local community members and business owners in Minneapolis have noted the concentration of raids within the Somali business community. The investigation remains active as federal agents process evidence seized from the targeted locations [1, 2].
“FBI agents raided 22 businesses in Minneapolis on Tuesday”
This investigation highlights the federal government's ongoing efforts to recover misused pandemic-era relief funds. The focus on safety-net programs—specifically child-care and housing—suggests a systemic vulnerability in how federal grants were administered at the local level. Because many of the targeted businesses are Somali-owned, the probe may increase scrutiny of the largest immigrant business community in the U.S.
