FBI agents conducted an investigation at the Northwest San Antonio location of Delia’s Tamales early Wednesday afternoon.
The raid follows a lawsuit filed last year by at least 25 former employees accusing the McAllen-based chain of fraud and age-discrimination along with to failing to pay Social Security taxes and maintaining two sets of financial records. Officials with Delia’s have repeatedly denied the suit’s allegations.
An attorney for the firm was unavailable for comment Wednesday on the FBI probe.
While the Current was onsite at Delia’s from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., roughly half a dozen FBI agents and San Antonio police officers were stationed around the parking lot of the store, located at 13527 Hausman Pass near Loop 1604. During that time, no law enforcement officials were seen carrying items out of the restaurant or escorting people away.
“I can confirm that we were performing court-authorized law enforcement activity in the vicinity of Hausman and 1604 in San Antonio,” an FBI spokesperson told Current via email. No further information is being released at this time, the spokesperson added.
Delia’s is a nearly 30-year-old South Texas food institution that operates six other restaurants spread across the Rio Grande Valley. The San Antonio location this week won Best Tamales in the Current‘s Best of San Antonio 2024 edition, and the shop drew lines around the block when it opened in 2020.
On Wednesday, FBI agents also entered at least one Delia’s restaurant in McAllen, according to South Texas news site myRGV.com. Agents in vests marked “FBI” were seen carrying cardboard evidence boxes into the business.
An FBI spokesperson told MyRGV.com the agents were conducting “court-authorized” activity at the restaurant.
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This article appears in Jul 3-9, 2024.