30 in custody following ICE raid at Kings Mountain factory; more arrests expected ...Middle East

KINGS MOUNTAIN, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) -- New information has been released following a large raid at a Kings Mountain factory Wednesday afternoon.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials confirmed Thursday that 30 people are currently in custody, and that number is expected to grow as the investigation continues.

The operation happened at Buckeye Fire Equipment, located on Kings Road. According to an ICE spokesperson, agents were executing a federal warrant related to aggravated identity theft and potential illegal employment.

Agents are still actively investigating, but are no longer at the factory, ICE officials confirmed with Queen City News. Detailed information on the charges is not being released at this time.

Inside the raid

Workers inside the factory described a chaotic scene as dozens of agents arrived, some wearing tactical gear with weapons drawn.

“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,'” Erick Pinon told Queen City News, a U.S. citizen who was working during the raid.

Pinon captured video of the initial moments, showing agents in vests with badges standing behind rows of factory workers. But agents quickly ordered him, and others, to stop recording.

“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. If it's not. You’ll be detained,’" Pinon said. 

According to Pinon, workers were kept in a small room for about an hour before being questioned one by one. He said agents were asking whether people were U.S. citizens or using someone else’s identity.

Those with verified legal status were reportedly given blue wristbands by agents.

Families left in limbo

Outside the factory, emotions ran high as family members searched for answers. Dulce Cruz-Hernandez said her mother works at Buckeye Fire, and she still doesn’t know her status.

“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. 

Cruz-Hernandez also had questions about how the raid came to target this particular factory.

“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 officials have not said how long the investigation has been underway, but ICE spokesperson Lindsay Williams emphasized the seriousness of the charges.

“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, we're somewhere in the dozen or so range, but that number may increase."

The operation involved multiple federal agencies, including the FBI, ATF, DEA, CBP, U.S. Marshals, and local law enforcement from Gaston County. Aerial footage showed tents and what appeared to be a staging area outside the facility on Wednesday, with workers lined up outside.

This is a Developing Story. Check back for updates

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