ICE Raids 2 Mexican Restaurants in Hibbing, Detains Multiple People

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office says a cocaine investigation alerted ICE to undocumented aliens

HIBBING, Minn. — New information was released Wednesday evening about two ICE raids in Hibbing earlier in the day involving two Mexican restaurants.

A law enforcement official close to the investigation told FOX 21 that federal agents detained eight undocumented people, including the owner of the two restaurants. And the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office said it all came to light during a cocaine investigation.

One of the restaurants is the El Charro Mexican Bar and Grill.

A FOX 21 photographer happened to be getting lunch at the restaurant after covering a different story in Hibbing when the federal agents rolled in during the noon hour.

The agents included Border Patrol and Enforcement Removal Operations (EROs).

The photographer was questioned on his nationality by agents while recording the incident.

According to ICE’s website, EROs “Manage all aspects of the immigration enforcement process, including the identification, arrest, detention, and removal of aliens who are subject to removal or are unlawfully present in the U.S.”

ICE also raided La Tequila Taco Shop in Hibbing Wednesday, which is the same location where the Lake Superior Violent Offenders Task Force and the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office were making an arrest involving a 2025 cocaine investigation.

The suspect in the cocaine case was taken to the St. Louis County Jail on pending charges of third-degree sale of cocaine and possession of a firearm by an ineligible person.

The suspect also was in possession of several fake identification documents, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

As for the raids themselves, we’ve reached out to ICE and the Border Patrol for comment but did not hear back, as of 10 p.m. Wednesday.