Feds launch 'massive operation' in Minnesota amid fraud scandal

Federal authorities are launching a "massive operation" successful Minnesota connected Tuesday to "identify, arrest, and region criminals who are defrauding the American people," the Department of Homeland Security said. 

"Our investigative agents are conducting a monolithic cognition to identify, arrest, and region criminals who are defrauding the American people. We volition basal retired this rampant fraud plaguing Minnesota," the bureau wrote connected X. 

FBI SURGES RESOURCES TO MINNESOTA AS DIRECTOR PATEL CALLS $250M FRAUD SCHEME ‘TIP OF A VERY LARGE ICEBERG’

Agents with the Department of Homeland Security successful a Minneapolis store. The bureau connected Tuesday said it had launched an cognition to  identify, arrest, and region criminals who are suspected of fraud.  (department of Homeland Security)

Fox News Digital has reached retired to DHS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The DHS announcement came a time aft the section said it had launched an cognition to analyse fraud successful the metropolis of Minneapolis aft the merchandise of a video by an autarkic writer that questioned daycare halfway operators successful the area. 

Videos posted by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem connected Monday showed Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents going door-to-door questioning businesses. 

Minnesota has travel nether aggravated scrutiny successful caller weeks aft authorities revealed multi-million fraud operations successful the state, resulting successful dozens of arrests and indictments. 

COMER WARNS 'WALLS ARE CAVING IN' ON TIM WALZ AS MINNESOTA FRAUD PROBE WIDENS

Over the weekend, FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau had moved resources into the state, pointing to the Feeding Our Future investigation, which uncovered an astatine slightest $250 cardinal strategy that siphoned national nutrient assistance intended for children during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Patel's announcement came successful the aftermath of a viral video posted connected societal media Friday by autarkic writer Nick Shirley that highlighted alleged fraud involving Minnesota childcare and learning centers. 

In the video, galore of the facilities appeared non-operational contempt allegedly receiving millions of dollars successful authorities aid.

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The video rapidly went viral and prompted respective Republican lawmakers to telephone for an probe and to telephone retired Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, accusing his bureau of failing to oversee wherever and however payer funds were being used. 

State officials person pushed backmost connected the alleged fraud. At a Monday property conference, Minnesota Department of Children, Youth and Families Commissioner Tikki Brown said anterior inspections of the centers did not uncover fraud and that regulators are conducting further unannounced visits to reappraisal concerns raised by the video.

"We are alert of a video that's being circulated that has gained section and nationalist attraction astir childcare centers successful Minnesota," Brown said. "While we person questions astir immoderate of the methods that were utilized successful the video, we bash instrumentality the concerns that the video raises astir fraud precise seriously."

Fox News Digital's Greg Wehner contributed to this report.