Rubber Bullets and Zip-Tied Children: FBI, ICE Accused of ‘Excessive Force’ in Idaho Racetrack Raid

• ICE’s role in gambling raid sparks civil rights concerns
• Hundreds detained, including children, during Idaho racetrack raid
• FBI cancels briefing after mass arrests raise public questions

The American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho (ACLU) has accused federal agents of using “excessive force” during a raid on a private racetrack that was supposed to be about illegal gambling.

More than 200 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, including the FBI and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), descended on La Catedral Arena in Wilder, Idaho, at around 1 pm on Sunday.

While the FBI was looking for individuals involved in illegal parimutuel betting, including track owner Ivan Tellez, hundreds of spectators who were uninvolved in gambling were also detained, including children. The ACLU also reports that agents used rubber bullets against the crowd.

‘Military Style’

La Catedral Arena is known locally for its racing and family events, and has operated in the small agricultural community of Wilder, west of Boise, for several years. Tellez has a permit to hold horse races at La Catedral, but he doesn’t hold a betting license, according to a federal complaint obtained by Casino.org.

The government came in full force, military-style, helicopters, drones and arrested and handcuffed, everyone … including children,” ACLU Idaho Executive Director Leo Morales told reporters at a news conference. “No person, no Idahoan, no American should ever accept whenever a government does this to its own people.”

Nikki Ramirez-Smith, an immigration lawyer, told the Idaho Statesman that agents rounded up “everybody” at the racetrack – somewhere between 500 and 1,000 people. Their hands were zip-tied, and children were separated from their parents, Ramirez-Smith said. Those who were able to provide documentation were later released.

There’s going to be a lot of kids who were severely traumatized by being tied up,” Ramirez-Smith added.

As of Monday, all children had been released, but many people were still detained, including some with no criminal history, according to Ramirez-Smith.

Unusual Collab

It’s not uncommon for federal law enforcement agencies to collaborate on investigations, but ICE’s involvement in an illegal gambling raid is highly unusual.

“Their presence was limited to that specific federal responsibility and was separate from the criminal gambling investigation being led by the FBI,” the release said.

Four people were arrested on gambling charges, including Tellez and Samuel Bejarano, described as the “bookmaker and administrator” of the track’s parimutuel betting operations. A fifth person was arrested Monday night, according to authorities.