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Periódico Cubano: South Florida launches the federal teams targeting food aid fraud
The Justice Department and the USDA's Office of Inspector General chose South Florida as the first site for the HEAT teams, which will investigate and prosecute fraud against benefits such as SNAP.
South Florida is the first part of the United States where the food assistance investigation and accountability teams (HEAT) are being set up, an initiative to investigate and prosecute fraud against federal food benefits, among them the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), according to Periódico Cubano. The Justice Department and the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) picked the region for the pilot, whose launch brought together representatives of more than 17 federal, state and local agencies, led by the US attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Jason A. Reding Quiñones, and USDA Inspector General John Walk.
The conduct the programme will investigate includes electronic theft of benefits through EBT cards, trafficking in SNAP benefits, irregularities at authorized retailers, identity fraud and cyber methods used to siphon off funds, including from the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP).
Officials said they chose South Florida for its large and diverse population, its wide retail network and its international connections, features that in their assessment can facilitate sophisticated fraud schemes. "Federal food assistance programs are a lifeline for families in need, not a profit source for scammers and criminal organizations," said Reding Quiñones. Walk argued that criminal organizations use ever more sophisticated methods to divert money from SNAP and CACFP.
In parallel, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began a nationwide operation weeks ago against immigrants accused of obtaining SNAP benefits through fraud, according to information the agency confirmed to Fox News and reported by the same outlet. Among the first people detained is a Cuban woman whom the Department of Homeland Security says lacks legal immigration status and has a prior conviction for disorderly conduct, as well as arrests on assault and domestic violence allegations. These are the authority's accusations, not facts proven at trial. The department also named four Haitian nationals.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin defended the arrests, described the initial results as "a drop in the ocean" and said that "these programs are only for Americans".
Sources: Periódico Cubano
Data updated: 2026-11-01T16:15:00.000Z