| (Washington, D.C., September 18, 2026) – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA) announced a sweeping crackdown on fraudulent SNAP retailers—bodegas, convenience stores, and grocery stores—across New York’s five boroughs. This investigation, dubbed Operation SNAP Back, included hundreds of undercover investigations leading to action against 170 retailers. “This is just the latest action in the Trump Administration’s fight against fraud. The message is clear, if you accept any portion of an annual $100 billion taxpayer program, you must follow the rules or face the consequences,” said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins. “We owe it to every American taxpayer to safeguard their hard-earned dollars, and these latest enforcement actions are just a small part of the Food and Nutrition Administration’s efforts to remove criminals and bad actors from food stamps.” The charges laid out in this operation include SNAP trafficking—the exchange of SNAP benefits for cash—and the illegal use of SNAP benefits to purchase ineligible items such as alcohol and non-food items. Penalties associated with these violations range from temporary removal to permanent disqualification from the program, as well as significant monetary fines. In addition to FNA’s enforcement actions, several cases have also been referred to the USDA Office of Inspector General for criminal investigation and prosecution, ensuring that fraudulent retailers are held accountable. Since the start of the Trump Administration, more than $5.8 billion of fraud has been stopped. This includes nearly 6,000 retailers that have been disqualified or suspended, and over 2,000 illegal point of sale devices that have been disabled or blocked. For more information, visit The Fraud Ledger. And remember, if you see something, say something. Report program fraud. |
