Local and federal authorities raided a popular chain of restaurants Tuesday.
According to Yavapai County Sheriff’s officials, they are working alongside the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies involving alleged criminal activity, including money laundering and labor exploitation tied to Colt Grill. A total of five locations that were simultaneously raided.
Deputy Homeland Security Communications Chief for the Southwest, Yasmeen Pitts O’Keefe, released the following statement Tuesday:
“Around 11:00 a.m., HSI led enforcement activity alongside multiple federal and local law enforcement partners, including ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, Yavapai County, and the Department of Labor, IRS–Criminal Investigations, in the execution of 28 federal search warrants and 4 federal arrest warrants specifically in Prescott, Prescott Valley, Cottonwood, Sedona, and Foley, Alabama, related to illicit money laundering, labor exploitation, and human smuggling (additional charges may be forthcoming).
The planned enforcement activity resulted in the arrest of four targets who are alleged to have participated in money laundering among other charges. Over 20 immigration-related arrests also took place, but that number has not been finalized as interviews are ongoing.
The success of this operation is a result of the close coordinated efforts by our partner law enforcement agencies—all of whom had significant impact in this three-year-long federal investigation.
This is an ongoing investigation.”