Crowd forms around federal raid in Minneapolis; MPD says it wasn’t related to immigration
Early afternoon on Tuesday in south Minneapolis, a crowd started to form at the site of a raid by federal law enforcement.
Tips started coming into 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that Immigration and Customs Enforcement was involved, and video of the scene showed federal agents with the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Agency.
The Minneapolis Police Department pushed back on rumors that it was related to immigration and said the warrant was for a drugs and money laundering investigation. No arrests were made, MPD said.
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, which said it was involved, denied that the incident was related to any immigration enforcement. The agency said its deputies were assisting federal agencies with executing search warrants for a criminal investigation.
The sheriff’s office said the warrants included a business in the area of Bloomington Avenue and Lake Street in Minneapolis.
Meanwhile, MPD said on social media that while a federal law enforcement operation was underway, a crowd formed and officers came to the scene to secure the area.
MPD also said that they were not involved in any immigration enforcement today or given any advance notice of such an operation.
The St. Paul Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said that special agents responded to help their federal partners during the execution of a federal criminal search warrant. The agency added that, “Our personnel responded to ensure the safety of the public, our law enforcement partners, and the integrity of the operation.”
Minneapolis City Council Member Jason Chavez and State Sen. Omar Fateh both posted on social media that they went to the scene. Fateh said he saw officers “put hands on the crowd.”
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS has a crew at the scene. Check back for updates.