Federal law enforcement agents with help from Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant Tuesday at a south Minneapolis restaurant in the area of East Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue.
A crowd formed around the scene, going so far as to try and block federal agents from leaving the area according to reports from eyewitnesses, with some convinced it was an immigration enforcement operation. There were angry shouts and a demonstration.
That turns out not to be true according to both the Minneapolis Police Department and the Mayor of Minneapolis.
Police came out quickly with a statement saying they were not notified of the operation, but officers were on hand for crowd control. The Hennepin County Sheriff's Office also released a statement saying they were involved in the operation but had nothing to do with assisting with civil immigration.
Witnesses described the federal agents - FBI, ATF, Homeland Security - as heavily armed and militarized. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara noted that it was part of a much larger federal investigation and came with "very serious charges."
Mayor Jacob Frey has said that it was related to a search warrant on drug and money laundering, which was later confirmed by the MPD.
"I’m aware of the operation federal agencies carried out today near Lake and Bloomington," Frey posted to social media. "While we’re still gathering details, this incident was related to a criminal search warrant for drugs and money laundering and was not related to immigration enforcement. No arrests were made."
One bystander tells WCCO Radio that they arrived at the tail end of the operation.
"And right when we came down was when they already had the people in the van and ICE and FBI were driving down Lake Street and people were trying to stop them," says Star Downwind. "The community was trying to stop stop them."
"In situations like this, having accurate and credible information is more important than ever," adds Mayor Frey. "We understand the community’s concerns and are committed to providing timely updates as information becomes available."