FBI agents raid San Francisco towing company
FBI agents served a search warrant on a towing company in San Francisco on Thursday morning.
The agency confirmed to CBS News Bay Area that it was conducting what it called "court-authorized law enforcement activity" at Specialty Towing on the 2000 block of Oakdale Avenue, near Interstate Highway 280.
Video from the scene showed agents in FBI jackets on the property.
The Internal Revenue Service also confirmed to CBS News Bay Area that they were at the scene.
"IRS CI special agents were there on official business, and we have no further details at this time," the agency said Thursday afternoon.
In an updated statement Thursday afternoon, the FBI said they also searched locations on the 800 block of Franklin Street and 1700 Lane Street in San Francisco.
"These actions were related to an ongoing federal investigation," said an agency spokesperson.
San Francisco police confirmed that their agency responded to assist a federal agency in serving a search warrant.
The tow yard was previously linked to an investigation by City Attorney David Chiu's office into illegal towing.
According to the city attorney, a company called Auto Towing towed several cars from the parking lot of a Bank of the West branch in the Portola neighborhood between February and May 2023. Chiu said the company did not receive permission of the property owner.
Documents alleged Auto Towing had towed vehicles to the lot of Specialty Towing on 2045 Oakdale Avenue instead of its permitted operating location at 1229 Underwood Avenue, which made it more difficult for the vehicle owners to retrieve their cars, Chiu said.
The city attorney said the victims were primarily Spanish-speaking and Cantonese-speaking residents, which he said are vulnerable to predatory tows.
Last month, the city banned Auto Towing from receiving city contracts for five years, saying the company engaged in "predatory behavior" along with "unfair business practices."
Chiu had suspended the company in February after the owners were charged in a welfare fraud scheme.