The FBI has sent additional agents and resources to Minnesota to crack down on large-scale fraud involving federal programs, according to Director Kash Patel.

He said the agency has already dismantled a $250 million scheme that stole food aid intended for children during the Covid pandemic, resulting in dozens of indictments and convictions.

Patel warned the case may represent only a small part of a much larger problem, with some suspects facing possible denaturalization and deportation.

Federal prosecutors estimate up to $9 billion may have been stolen through fraud schemes linked to the state’s Somali population, The Guardian has reported.

The move comes amid heightened attention to alleged misuse of federal funds in Minnesota and viral reports of suspicious program payouts.