Efforts to Combat Fraud in SNAP
Vice President J.D. Vance’s Task Force to Combat Fraud has taken significant measures to tackle fraud within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) since its establishment.
From launching Operation Cold SNAP, a collaborative effort that targeted a SNAP retailer in Minnesota, to an ongoing investigation by the Office of Inspector General regarding alleged fraudulent payments made to deceased individuals in Puerto Rico, the government is actively pursuing various avenues to eliminate fraud in food assistance programs.
A spokesperson for Vance remarked, “The Trump Administration exposes more fraud every day. Vice President Vance’s Task Force on Fraud is working around the clock to ensure your tax dollars go to American families, not fraudsters.”
On April 16, the Department of Agriculture announced Operation Cold SNAP. Together, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the USDA Office of Inspector General conducted search warrants at 20 SNAP retail stores in Minneapolis and St. Paul due to suspicions of SNAP benefit trafficking.
USDA Inspector General John Wolk highlighted the issue, stating, “Fraudulent SNAP retailers steal from their victims, including children who rely on federal nutritional assistance, and dishonor the American taxpayer charities that fund the assistance.”
Wolk assured continued efforts, saying, “The OIG will continue to work with our federal law enforcement partners and government agencies to combat fraud and hold criminals accountable.”
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins praised Operation Cold SNAP, referring to it as a “huge success,” crediting Vance’s task force for their support.
On May 6, Puerto Rico’s Comptroller Carmen Vega Fournier revealed an investigation uncovered $150 million in Nutrition Assistance Program (NAP) benefits distributed to those who had passed away from 2017 to 2024.
This NAP program, similar to SNAP, is overseen by the USDA, and a March 2026 report indicated that 38,618 NAP participants were deceased at the time benefits were issued.
“We are grateful for the Comptroller’s Office’s work that led to this important finding, which will allow the appropriate authorities to ensure that federal food assistance goes to eligible recipients and is not spent by those who exploit the dead,” Wolk commented.
Moreover, the Justice Department has been active in pursuing SNAP fraud charges recently. On April 20, an announcement from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio detailed charges against five men allegedly involved in a scheme to fraudulently obtain nearly $1 million in SNAP benefits.
The defendants, who are Romanian nationals, face multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud and identity theft.
On May 7, a separate indictment was made against Felipe Almonte Polanco, a previously convicted felon accused of using stolen identities to garner SNAP benefits from 2021 to 2026. The indictment claims Polanco utilized identities from at least 18 people, acquiring around $69,000 in fraudulent benefits.
“Fraud is not a victimless crime,” Vance stated during a recent Fraud Task Force roundtable. “I think the theme of the Fraud Task Force so far is that we’re protecting two types of victims here. We’re protecting American taxpayers whose money shouldn’t be stolen by fraudsters, and, of course, we’re protecting the people who need these services.”
