<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The US Department of Homeland Security has stepped in to assist the investigation of a massive fraud operation in the US state of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/minneapolis" rel="" target="_blank" title="Minneapolis"><span>Minneapolis</span></a><span>, under the watch of department's Secretary Kristi Noem.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The action comes after years of </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/investigation" rel="" target="" title="investigation"><span>investigation</span></a><span> into a fraudulent $US300 million ($448 million) scheme at the non-profit Feeding Our Future, for which 57 defendants in Minnesota have been convicted.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Prosecutors said the organisation was at the centre of the country's largest </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/coronavirus" rel="" target="" title="COVID-19"><span>COVID-19</span></a><span>-related </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/fraud" rel="" target="" title="fraud"><span>fraud</span></a><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/scam" rel="" target="" title="scam"><span>scam</span></a><span>, when defendants exploited a state-run, federally funded program intended to provide food for children.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/fairfield-sydney-tactical-police-operation/04db1bee-4a8c-4e97-add8-9c63e7e2003b" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Sydney man charged over alleged conspiracy to commit shooting</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A federal prosecutor alleged earlier in December that half or more of the roughly $US18 billion in federal funds that supported 14 programs in Minnesota since 2018 may have been stolen.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Minnesota Governor </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/tim-walz" rel="" target="" title="Tim Walz"><span>Tim Walz</span></a><span> said fraud would not be tolerated and that his administration "will continue to work with federal partners to ensure fraud is stopped and fraudsters are caught".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Noem, one of US President Trump's most trusted cabinet members, posted a video on the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/twitter" rel="" target="" title="social platform X"><span>social platform X</span></a><span> showing DHS officers going into an unidentified business and questioning the person working behind the counter.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/homeland-security-says-a-fraud-investigation-is-underway-in-minneapolis/23b10b9d-b067-49a9-9642-eb23486fd6e2" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Noem said that </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/police" rel="" target="" title="officers"><span>officers</span></a><span> were "conducting a massive investigation on </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/childcare" rel="" target="" title="childcare"><span>childcare</span></a><span> and other rampant fraud".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The American people deserve answers on how their taxpayer money is being used and ARRESTS when abuse is found," </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/usa" rel="" target="" title="US"><span>US</span></a><span> Immigration and Customs Enforcement posted.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The action comes a day after FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that the agency had "surged personnel and investigative resources to Minnesota to dismantle large-scale fraud schemes exploiting federal programs".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Patel said that previous fraud arrests in Minnesota were "just the tip of a very large iceberg".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>US President </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/donald-trump" rel="" target="" title="Donald Trump"><span>Donald Trump</span></a><span> has criticised Walz's administration over the fraud cases to date.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/queensland-floods-weather-australia/0aa6a6c7-7bb8-4238-81fa-3a9c6ced3e19" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>New warnings for life-threatening flash floods as Queensland smashed by rain</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In recent weeks, tensions have been high between state and federal enforcement in the area as the Trump administration's immigration crack down focused on the </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/somalia" rel="" target="" title="Somali"><span>Somali</span></a><span> community in the Minneapolis-St Paul area, which is the largest in the country.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Among those running schemes to get funds for child nutrition, housing services and autism programs, 82 of the 92 defendants are Somali Americans, according to the US Attorney's Office for Minnesota.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Walz spokesperson Claire Lancaster said that the governor has worked for years to "crack down on fraud" and was seeking more authority from the legislature to take aggressive action.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Walz has supported criminal prosecutions and taken a number of other steps, including strengthening oversight and hiring an outside firm to audit payments to high-risk programs, Lancaster said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications 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