NYPD, Federal Postal Inspectors, and agents from the New York Financial Crimes Task Force were spotted in Jackson Heights today. A TikToker recording the law enforcement agents in Queens suggested it was a potential ICE raid. Unfortunately, there’s not enough context to know for sure either way. Though details are scant, the presence of what appears to be at least a dozen agents from multiple agencies says something. In theory, the Financial Crimes force isn’t barging into Jackson Heights for no reason, but it wouldn’t be the first time the police did so. Queens has seen its share and more.
Queens Gets Visit From NYC Financial Crimes Force
Peeping neighbors are one kind of public nuisance. Raids are another. Given that the officers in the video were mostly standing around talking, the footage may show the aftermath of an operation instead of its staging. It’s notable as well that some agents wore masks, obscuring their identity on the streets of New York. Having a secret police force never ends well, and Queens had its law enforcement challenges already.
The TikTok by crazyemo199 about the Financial Crimes sighting in New York only tells part of the story. It’s still a worrisome one. With ICE raids and abductions by law enforcement on the rise across the U.S., the presence of masked police agents is a growing trend, too. New York sees a bit of everything, making it hard to tell how concerned its residents should be. As one commenter on the video put it,
“New York is different bro [Sic]”
During the video, someone can say, “Did he have anything on him?” Unfortunately, who was speaking isn’t clear. Nor is who “he” might be. Given how tight-lipped U.S. law enforcement tends to be, especially if it’s an ongoing operation, it may be a while before Jackson Heights gets the whole story.
