USDA Charges 33 Los Angeles-Area SNAP Retailers With Fraud Following Federal Sting Operation

Federal investigators have charged 33 Los Angeles-area retailers with alleged SNAP fraud following a joint USDA and Homeland Security enforcement operation targeting benefit trafficking and prohibited sales. Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA) has announced that 33 SNAP-authorized retailers in the Los Angeles area have been charged following a coordinated federal enforcement operation targeting alleged fraud within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). According to the USDA, investigators from the USDA Office of Inspector General (OIG) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed search warrants at multiple retail locations on July 2, 2026. The investigation focused on allegations of benefit trafficking and the illegal sale of items that cannot be purchased with SNAP benefits.

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