The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Administration (FNA) announced a sweeping crackdown on fraudulent Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program 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.”
🚨OPERATION SNAP BACK: New York
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) September 18, 2026
SNAP fraud across New York City just got confronted head on.@USDA investigators went into all FIVE boroughs, conducting hundreds of undercover investigations into bodegas, convenience stores, and grocery stores suspected of abusing the program.…
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.
From fiscal year 2023-2025, the USDA tracked over $360 million of replaced SNAP benefits because criminals stole them.
“SNAP benefits should go to Americans, not fraudsters or illegal immigrants,” said White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud Executive Director Scott Brady. “And thanks to Secretary Rollins, such waste and abuse will stop.”
🚨 Operation SNAP Back is Underway! 🚨@USDA_FNA is cracking down on SNAP fraud, starting in New York's five boroughs, where undercover investigations warranted action against 170 retailers for benefit trafficking and illegal use of SNAP.
— Dept. of Agriculture (@USDA) September 18, 2026
🔗 Details: https://t.co/YaCWGGNHUs… pic.twitter.com/zOUEiEbjWe
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.
🚨 BOOM! Donald Trump's USDA just announced that $5.8 BILLION dollars in SNAP fraud was just prevented because of new enforcement measures
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 18, 2026
I voted for this!
Per Sec. Rollins, this includes nearly 2,000 illegal SNAP devices being shuttered and over 5,000 fraudulent retailers… pic.twitter.com/eOzYYzdqJ5
And remember, if you see something, say something. Report program fraud.
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