USDA Says It’s Cracking Down on Food Stamp Fraudsters

The agency said it ’surveilled over 100 locations in southern California' before making arrests.

A sign in a grocery store in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Dec. 5, 2019. Scott Heins/Getty Images

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is taking action against food stamps fraud in an operation that aims to collar “criminals engaged in defrauding American taxpayers,” the agency announced in a release.

Along with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and local law enforcement, the USDA said on May 2 that it recently “surveilled over 100 locations in southern California, including multiple SNAP retailers,” which resulted in “numerous arrests and the collection of high-value evidence.”

The agency did not say how many were arrested or provide other details.

The operations targeted individuals who are defrauding the Supplemental Food Assistance Program (SNAP), commonly known as food stamps, and its EBT card system.

“In such cases, criminals steal funds loaded onto EBT cards that SNAP recipients rely on to buy food by surreptitiously installing card skimmers, and cloning point of sale terminals enabling them to steal publicly funded benefits,” a USDA news release said.

“Recent investigations show that international criminal organizations are heavily involved and benefiting from SNAP fraud,” the USDA said.

“These are truly sick and depraved individuals who are stealing food from low-income Americans for their own profit,” said acting USDA Deputy Under Secretary John Walk in the statement.

“It is especially disturbing when international criminal organizations siphon tax dollars away from SNAP beneficiaries to fund their own illicit activities. I commend Secretary [Brooke] Rollins’ attention in fighting this fraud.”

More than 41 million low-income people receive SNAP benefits, which the USDA administers.

The push comes as the Trump administration has said it is rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse in the federal government.

In January, President Donald Trump established the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In February, USDA Secretary Rollins said in a statement that the USDA would implement recommendations from DOGE to terminate contracts and reduce staffing.

“Already, USDA has identified more than $132 million in excess spending. USDA has terminated 78 contracts, totaling more than $132 million. Additionally, more than 1,000 contracts are currently under review. USDA has also identified and canceled 948 employee trainings, 758 of which focused on DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion] alone,” the agency said at the time.

It comes weeks after the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services said they are pursuing reforms to SNAP and called on governors to submit waivers to restrict what SNAP recipients can buy. Some Trump administration officials say that heavily processed food, soda, and similar items should not fall under the SNAP payment system.

“We will encourage taxpayer dollars to go toward wholesome foods, such as whole milk, fruits, vegetables and meats,” the secretaries wrote.

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen on April 7 sent a letter to Rollins indicating the state would request a waiver to prohibit SNAP recipients from buying soda and energy drinks with their benefits, according to a state press release.

West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey, in late March, signed a similar letter of intent at an event with Kennedy, according to a state press release.

Reuters contributed to this report.