Federal immigration agents arrested 14 individuals during a raid at a Mexican restaurant in Marshall Township, Pennsylvania. The operation targeted Tepache Mexican Kitchen and Bar, according to a spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), as reported by CBS Pittsburgh.
The individuals taken into custody were allegedly in the U.S. without legal status.
ICE cited “violations of immigration laws” and stated that the action was part of an ongoing investigation led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security.
A federal search warrant was executed at the location, although no specific details were released about what agents were looking for, CBS Pittsburgh reported.
Footage aired by local station KDKA showed several men and women in handcuffs—both wrists and ankles—being escorted out of the restaurant by agents. ICE confirmed that all 14 individuals are currently in custody, but did not disclose where they were taken.
Jamie Martinez, a community advocate with the organization Casa San José, was on site to support the detained workers. The group provides legal, social, and medical assistance to the Latino community in the Pittsburgh area.
Martinez described a deeply emotional scene: “They were waving to us while crying—some thanked us for being there,” he told CBS Pittsburgh. Asked about the presence of undocumented individuals, he added, “Every person, regardless of their status, deserves to be treated with dignity.”
The FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) also assisted ICE in the operation. Local authorities have not yet commented on the broader context of the investigation.
Source: CBS Pittsburgh
