Homeland Security investigating Valley locations of Zipps Sports Grill

PHOENIX — Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection were seen investigating Zipps Sports Grill locations around the Valley.

KTAR News 92.3 FM saw agents at a Zipps location near 16th Street and Bethany Home Road.

Homeland Security Investigations said in a statement that it and federal partners were serving federal search warrants at 15 locations throughout the metro Phoenix area on Monday as part of a months-long criminal investigation. However, HSI did not specify what or where those locations were.

“They entered very suddenly through the front door. I’m assuming the back door at the same time,” a Zipps employee who did not wish to be identified told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Monday. “There (were) … 20 or 30 different agents. … Honestly very scary, a handful of my patrons were asking what was happening.”

The employee noted the restaurant received a call around 20 to 30 minutes before officers arrived, warning them about agents who appeared to be with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the parking lot.

“A lot of them had emblems that simply said ‘police.’ Whatever the breakdown for Homeland Security is, I don’t recall off hand. Many of them had ICE emblems,” the employee said. “They look very militarized as you would imagine. … There were a few who did not have their faces covered, but I would say at least 70 to 80% were trying to hide their identities.”

Which other Zipps Sports Grill locations were being investigated?

KTAR News also saw the Zipps near Central Avenue and Earl Drive empty of customers and cordoned off with caution tape.

Protester Jacob Martinez showed up at the restaurant after hearing HSI was there and told KTAR News that a SWAT team ended up responding.

“The SWAT team showed up and started shooting pepper balls. They started pushing people and started being the bullies that they are,” Martinez said. “People were in the … parking lot … and they started shoving people. They started ramming their cars into people. They rammed me with their car. That’s the same thing that they shot Renee Good for two weeks ago.”

In addition, ABC15 reported that agents were spotted at restaurants near Miller and Camelback roads, 36th Street and Indian School Road and 32nd Street and Shea Boulevard.

HSI said that the warrants being served were authorized by a federal judge based on information that was presented.

More information will be available after evidence is gathered and reviewed, according to HSI.

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