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Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
ICE raid at Kings Mountain factory stemmed from identity theft investigation; workers taken into custody
KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C. () — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials said a raid on a Kings Mountain factory Wednesday afternoon was part of an investigation into identity theft. That blitz involved ICE agents taking workers at Buckeye Fire Equipment into custody. 'There's a bunch of cops here. And I was like, 'What are you talking about?' And I looked down the hall; there was a mass there. They had masks on. They had their guns drawn. They were like, Hey, we need everybody [to] go in the front,' said Erick. Eric Pinon shot video, and he and his coworkers gathered in one spot at Buckeye Fire. In the video, men in large vests and badges are seen standing behind the workers. He was able to grab this video before any agents stepped in to stop him. 'I was trying to record, and he told me, 'No recording, put your phone up.' He grabbed my phone, and like, that's when he took the record off, and he turned off my phone. He was like, 'Everybody turn off your phones now. It's not. You'll be detained,' Pinon said. PREVIOUS | Pinon, a U.S. citizen, said once everyone's phones were turned off, what appeared to be immigration agents led them to a small room for at least an hour before individual interrogations outside. 'That's when they were checking all of us. They were asking questions like, 'Are you a U.S. citizen? Anybody in there? You a citizen or not? You a citizen?' Or if, like, anybody that's working without papers or under a different name,' he said. Pinon chose not to answer any questions. Agents handed out blue wristbands to indicate who had legal citizenship. Dulce Cruz-Hernandez's mom works at the factory, and she has questions of her own. 'I would ask them why and if, like the company called them, or just like how did they end up in this factory specifically?' Cruz-Hernandez said. ICE spokesperson Lindsay Williams said agents were executing a warrant for aggravated identity theft and other crimes, which include potentially employing people illegally. 'Allegations of identity theft and you should take seriously. Would you want your identities used for someone else to work or do whatever they're going to do with them? So it's a serious federal crime,' Williams said. 'There have been some folks detained where somewhere in the dozen or so range, but that number may increase as we continue.' From the air, tents could be seen that looked like a staging area, and people lined up outside of the massive complex on Kings Road. FBI, ATF, DEA, CBP, US Marshals, Gaston County Police, and Gaston County deputies were on the scene. 'It's really sad because I just don't know what's going on with my mother. I don't know if she's going to come back home today, never, ever. I really don't know. My mom's the only guardian I have really, because my dad's unfortunately not in the country either,' Cruz-Hernandez said. Williams said the investigation is ongoing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
ICE agents arrest 30 at Kings Mountain business
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 30 people at a Kings Mountain fire equipment company, saying they were acting on a tip about fake documents and possible unauthorized workers. PAST COVERAGE: Homeland Security serves criminal search warrant at Kings Mountain fire equipment supplier Video from Chopper 9 Skyzoom on Wednesday afternoon showed agents walking people in handcuffs out of Buckeye Fire Equipment Company. Agents said they received a tip that someone inside was using fake documents to allow people to work, who possibly were not authorized to work in the country. Investigators haven't released any information on any arrests or charges. Federal agents said they are also looking at possible other federal crimes. Channel 9 spoke with a man who said he was one of the people detained. He said ICE agents entered the business with guns drawn and demanded everyone go to the front of the shop. 'I was a detained for an hour,' said Erik Pinon. 'I felt scared. I felt like they were going to take me because I've seen a lot of U.S. citizens get treated bad.' Buckeyes Fire Equipment is family-owned and operated since 1968, and its headquarters is in Kings Mountain. It makes fire extinguishers, fire suppressing foam, and systems that help stop kitchen fires. At 5 p.m. on Channel 9, we are looking into a former Buckeye executive sentenced for tax evasion. This is a developing story. Check back with for updates. VIDEO: Homeland Security serves criminal search warrant at Kings Mountain fire equipment supplier
