A task force recently raided a home in National City, California, taking down an illegal gambling den during the early morning hours. The East County Regional Gang Task Force headed to East Eight Street to search a search warrant and found the home to be operating illegal gambling activities.
According to sergeant Jeff Ford, the raid resulted in the removal of gaming machines as well as evidence collection for the prosecution. During the raid, two people were detained by police, but they were later released.
The raid was captured by OnScene TV, when heavily armed SWAT officers swarmed the home. The property is located between two commercial buildings. Police alerted those inside that they had a search warrant and the place was surrounded. They asked for anyone inside to come out with hands empty and up in the air.
Police shot projectiles into the home a few times, trying to push whoever was inside, out. Once inside, members of the task force began pulling out gambling machines on a hand truck. They took the machines away inside a truck. At least 13 slot machines were confiscated along with cash. The amount of money taken is unknown.
The case remains under investigation and no further details have been released. It is unclear as to how police found out about the location as well as who was running the operation. It is assumed that as investigations continue, more details will emerge on the matter.
Several agencies were involved in the raid including Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, California Highway Patrol and more. The National City Code Conformance sent officers into the home and they deemed it unhabitable. The property was subject to unsafe wiring. There also seemed to be modifications to the electrical panel that caused the home to be unfit for people to live inside.
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