El Vaquero employees detained
Nathan Becker
Issue date: 4/3/08 Section: News
Local Mexican restaurant El Vaquero shut down for a day after a raid to arrest some of the establishment's employees.
The restaurant was shut down during the lunch hour Friday as the Social Security Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Immigration and Customs enforcement executed a search warrant, said Dan Taylor, St. Louis Postal Inspector.
Adair County prosecutor Mark Williams said that as a result of the raid, officials took 10 people into custody.
"Those [arrested] would be individuals who could not produce their citizenship status," Williams said.
Williams said the case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney's office in St. Louis but that as far as he knows, there haven't been any arrest warrants issued. Taylor confirmed that no charges have been filed.
A representative from the U.S. Attorney's office said the office could not provide any public information about the incident, and she couldn't confirm or deny that an investigation even was taking place.
One FBI agent was present during the execution of the warrant, Taylor said, and Kirksville Police Chief Jim Hughes said a few Kirksville officers assisted with the raid.
El Vaquero owner Taly Lopez said eight of the men taken into custody were El Vaquero employees, and although he wasn't sure of the exact number of people arrested, a couple were employees of another restaurant who happened to be eating at El Vaquero at the time of the sting.
Lopez, who was in Tennessee at the time of the bust, said the Social Security Administration told him the men had been using fake identities to work. He said there is no truth to the rumor that the restaurant was involved in drugs or drug trafficking.
"No one was looking for any drugs or anything
Please see VAQUERO, Page 7
Continued from Page 1
else," he said. "They were looking for illegals."
During the raid, officials seized the restaurant's administrative documents, Lopez said.
The restaurant was shut down during the lunch hour Friday as the Social Security Administration, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Immigration and Customs enforcement executed a search warrant, said Dan Taylor, St. Louis Postal Inspector.
Adair County prosecutor Mark Williams said that as a result of the raid, officials took 10 people into custody.
"Those [arrested] would be individuals who could not produce their citizenship status," Williams said.
Williams said the case is being handled by the U.S. Attorney's office in St. Louis but that as far as he knows, there haven't been any arrest warrants issued. Taylor confirmed that no charges have been filed.
A representative from the U.S. Attorney's office said the office could not provide any public information about the incident, and she couldn't confirm or deny that an investigation even was taking place.
One FBI agent was present during the execution of the warrant, Taylor said, and Kirksville Police Chief Jim Hughes said a few Kirksville officers assisted with the raid.
El Vaquero owner Taly Lopez said eight of the men taken into custody were El Vaquero employees, and although he wasn't sure of the exact number of people arrested, a couple were employees of another restaurant who happened to be eating at El Vaquero at the time of the sting.
Lopez, who was in Tennessee at the time of the bust, said the Social Security Administration told him the men had been using fake identities to work. He said there is no truth to the rumor that the restaurant was involved in drugs or drug trafficking.
"No one was looking for any drugs or anything
Please see VAQUERO, Page 7
Continued from Page 1
else," he said. "They were looking for illegals."
During the raid, officials seized the restaurant's administrative documents, Lopez said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Lori
Lori
posted 4/03/08 @ 11:54 AM CST
First off, I'm curious as to the use of the word "sting" in describing the incident. To me that word suggests a situation that is set up by a government agency that a person walks into unknowingly. (Continued…)
Phil Jarrett
posted 4/03/08 @ 11:54 PM CST
Lori,
I think you make a good point about the responsibility of employers and perhaps this misuse of the word "sting." From my understanding, Mr. Lopez was actually no longer owned the restaurant that was raided in January, though. (Continued…)
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