Families Detained and Children Restrained During FBI Gambling Probe in Idaho

A family day out at La Catedral Arena on Sunday afternoon turned into chaos when federal and local law enforcement agencies swarmed the small-town racetrack. Officials said this was part of a big probe into illegal horse betting.

Immigration Fears Rise After FBI’s 200-Agent Raid on Small-Town Racetrack

The arena, in Wilder, a country town west of Boise, often draws hundreds of visitors many from Idaho’s Spanish-speaking community. Families spend the day enjoying food, raffles, and local sellers. However, people there said the weekend fun changed to fear when helicopters, drones, and officers with big guns surrounded the place, reported the Idaho Statesman.

The FBI reports that the operation involved around 200 officers from several agencies. These included Homeland Security, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, and Idaho State Police. Officials verified that four people were arrested in connection with alleged illegal betting: Ivan Tellez from Wilder, Samuel Bejarano and Dayana Fajardo from Nyssa, Oregon, and Alejandro Estrada from Buhl.

The FBI stressed that their inquiry centered on illegal gambling, but supporters and eyewitnesses painted a different picture. Multiple immigration lawyers reported that agents detained and questioned families, including many US citizens and legal residents, about their immigration status. Reports suggest that kids were taken from their parents and bound with zip ties as officers moved through the crowd.

Lawyers Describe Panic, Zip Ties, and Unanswered Questions After FBI Operation

Nikki Ramirez-Smith, an immigration lawyer based in Nampa, said she hurried to the location after getting panicked calls from clients. She recounted finding scores of families outside the arena, anxious for news about missing family members. She noted that many were confused that what should have been a community event had transformed into what seemed like an immigration crackdown.

Viviana Gonzalez, a Utah lawyer, shared that agents detained her family, who ran a clothing stand at the racetrack. She watched on a video call as officers surrounded her parents and zip-tied them. They also restrained her 13-year-old sister, a US citizen, before letting her go hours later. Gonzalez said this event had a profound impact on her family.

People at the scene reported that the situation outside the racetrack got worse when folks tried to approach the entrance to check on their detained relatives. Observers said officers shot rubber bullets to break up the crowd.

By nightfall, authorities had freed most detainees, but many said they left without clear explanations. Local advocacy groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union and PODER of Idaho, have since asked for an independent review of the incident. They argue that the large number of immigration officers made it hard to tell the difference between a gambling investigation and an immigration sweep.

As of Monday, federal officials had called off a planned press briefing about the operation. Families affected by the raid still want answers, and someone to take responsibility, for what started as a day at the races and ended up causing fear and confusion.