HOUSTON—
Eighteen people are in custody facing federal charges after a massive raid at a North Houston flea market Saturday afternoon.It was not quite the Saturday Jerson Hernandez expected to have while shopping at a flea market on Airline Street.
"Out of nowhere a whole bunch of cops start coming through," Hernandez said.
"I saw the cops coming and I started running inside," said Hector Cerda, another witness.
Hernandez and Cerda were among the crowd of people who saw the sting operation at the flea market first-hand. The raid was the result of a months-long investigation conducted by the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement in cooperation with other agencies, officials said
According to ICE investigators, 18 people were arrested and charged for selling fake documents such as driver's licenses and passports.
'We're taking a more aggressive approach at identifying these types of organizations," ICE representative Michael Feinberg said.
Feinberg said if anyone can walk into a flea market and buy a fake government document, then it is considered a national security threat.
"I was not doing nothing bad. They just grabbed me and threw me to the van," said Carlos Perez, a shoe salesman at the market.
Perez was searched by an investigator at the scene. He said he burned his hands when the officer forced him to place his hands on a blazing hot van. He later rubbed toothpaste on his hands to alleviate some of the pain.
"Sometimes some folks are close by and for officers' safety [we have to] secure the area," Feinberg explained. "Once we identify who we need, [then we] release everybody else."
Perez said it is unfortunate that he and other innocent people were caught in the middle of the raid, but he was glad the alleged "bad guys" are off the streets
The raid is just one of many going on across the country as part of ICE's efforts to crack down on fraudulent document operations, officials said.
