Illegal Gambling Crackdown In San Jose

The largest illegal gambling crackdown in San Jose’s history has been conducted on Tuesday night by the FBI and San Jose police. Officers have raided dozens of Vietnamese cafes and seized numerous illegal gambling machines that were bringing in from $1,000 to $5,000 a week in revenue.

Tuesday’s night raid, part of “Operation Omni”, was the result of an eighteen months investigation that included violence, prostitution and illegal gambling at Vietnamese cafes. According to authorities, there have been numerous cases of violence linked to territorial power struggles over the cash flow.

Commander of the San Jose police Mike Sullivan said that people are being hurt in and around the establishments and he strongly believes that these events are tied to gambling.

The police have reviewed cases of shooting and stabbing in 2013 connected to the Vietnamese cafes so when they saw a pattern they have come together in an investigation that led to Tuesday’s night raid. The police have knowledge of prostitution, drugs and violence tied to the cafes and they want to make sure that San Jose is safe from similar crimes in the future.

Officers have raided 11 Vietnamese cafes and bars and seized about 100 video gaming machines that were producing from $1,000 to $5,000 a week. One of the raided cafes was Xinh Xinh Cafe that operated 8 gaming machines near Tully Road and McLauglin Avenue.

Nearly 20 people were detained and questioned but police did not confirm if any arrests Customers were shocked when police barged in and started the raid claiming that they had no idea that the cafe was offering gambling. However, Xinh Xinh cafe’s waitress has admitted that she was aware of the video gambling machines that were operated in plain view inside the building.

It is not the first time that San Jose police faced problems with illegal gambling operations in the city. Eight people were arrested in January for operating garage-based casino at a house on South Capitol Avenue where police found gambling machines, drugs and large amounts of cash. Police have also served search warrants on four locations in late February when 27 people were arrested in San Jose and Modesto for operating gaming machines.

The raid was conducted and numerous machines were seized but the police now face the toughest part of investigation which is finding people in charge of the entire operation.

Photo: mercurynews