The raid involved a property owner in Wilder and was during a public event with families in attendance. A fifth gambling suspect was arrested the next day. WILDER, Idaho — Federal agents descended on a Canyon County horse racing facility Sunday as part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged illegal gambling operation, where they arrested four people. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was also on the scene. To stream KGW on your phone, you need the KGW app. Download the KGW app There was a public horse racing event scheduled when law enforcement began the raid, and many people were in attendance. KTVB can confirm some law enforcement officers are masked, and witnesses report that ICE detained at least 50 more people, maybe a hundred more, than the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Immigration attorney Nikki Ramirez told KTVB the detainees are being processed in Boise and Mountain Home, but there is no exact location where they are being held. Ramirez said she has also seen some undocumented people released. She added that any detainees transferred to ICE detention centers could be sent to Seattle, Las Vegas, New Mexico or anywhere in the country. One witness said her mother FaceTimed her as the raid was happening, saying she saw about 107 people taken to Boise in white vans. The witness said she has been tracking her mother's location, which shows Boise, but the signal keeps dropping. The ACLU and immigration attorneys are asking any witnesses with video from the beginning of the raid to share it with them. Any families directly impacted can call them at 208-344-9750, extension 5. To stream KGW on your phone, you need the KGW app. Download the KGW app "Illegal gambling isn't a victimless crime," said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI. "These operations can create an increase in violent crime, drug activity, and violence, putting communities at risk. I'm grateful for the collaboration and partnerships on the federal, state, and local level. Together, we're working to keep our communities safe." The FBI stated in a news release that four people were arrested and charged with federal complaints: Ivan Tellez, 37, of Wilder, Idaho; Samuel Bejarano, 37, of Nyssa, Oregon; Dayana Fajardo, 39, of Nyssa, Oregon and Alejandro Estrada, 56, of Buhl, Idaho. A fifth alleged accomplice, Cesar Orozco, was also charged and arrested in Meridian on the evening of Monday, Oct. 20. Tellez and Orozco are permanent residents of the United States. The three others arrested, Fajardo, Estrada, and Bejarano, are undocumented. The Raid The FBI conducted what it described as "court-ordered activity" at a property in Wilder regarding Tellez, the alleged owner and operator of the property. The business is registered as La Catedral Arena LLC. According to the FBI's Salt Lake City Field Office, about 200 law enforcement personnel from federal, state and local agencies executed the warrant Oct. 19 at La Cathedral Arena. To stream KGW on your phone, you need the KGW app. Download the KGW app The raid began on Oct. 19, around 1:15 p.m. Idaho State Police (ISP) confirmed it was assisting the FBI with the investigation. The Canyon County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) also confirmed its involvement but did not provide additional details. Along with ISP, CCSO, and the FBI, KTVB crews also observed agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Public records from the Idaho Secretary of State's website show the raid comes after federal prosecutors filed criminal charges against the property owner on Oct. 15. If convicted, Tellez could face up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and a $100 special assessment. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey A. Manweiler is prosecuting the case. Tellez faces one count of conducting an illegal gambling business under federal law, according to a criminal complaint filed Oct. 15 in U.S. District Court in Boise. FBI Special Agent Jacob Sheridan detailed the investigation in a 14-page affidavit supporting the criminal complaint. Agents began investigating in February after receiving a tip from a private citizen about gambling at horse races in Wilder. The informant told agents that Tellez owned property where the races were held. Court documents show that investigators learned Tellez owns and operates La Catedral Arena on his property at 27410 Peckham Road in Wilder. The facility is one of three registered businesses on the property. According to the FBI special agent, the gambling operation involved parimutuel betting, a form of wagering commonly used in horse racing where bets of a similar type are pooled together. The system allows for larger potential payouts and the ability to bet on multiple aspects of an event rather than just picking the winner. Tellez holds a conditional use permit from Canyon County to hold horse racing events at La Catedral Arena, documents state. However, agents confirmed through the Idaho State Racing Commission that Tellez never applied for a license to conduct parimutuel betting at the facility. Tellez's event permit application includes a letter from the Idaho Racing Commission specifically prohibiting pari-mutuel betting activities during any event held at La Catedral Arena, according to the affidavit. Details in Tellez's criminal complaint According to the court documents, Bejarano posted publicly on Facebook almost monthly about the gambling operation at La Catedral Arena. On June 19, Bejarano posted a photograph of a betting bracket showing wagers in $100 increments. The court document further states that six days later, on June 25, Bejarano posted another betting sheet. The sheet was filled with names of other gamblers who had placed wagers ranging from $1,000 to $2,000. Agents allege that the banner at the top of the sheet identified the race location as "La Catedral Training Center." The June 25 post included the word "quiniela," a Spanish term that refers specifically to a type of wager placed on horse races under the parimutuel system. Documents further allege that a quiniela wager is when a gambler bets on which horses will finish first and second in a race, or which stables will place first and second over the course of a racing meet. The affidavit states that subpoenaed financial records showed Bejarano received gambling wagers via electronic payment services, including Venmo, Zelle and Cash App, which were linked to his checking account with Idaho Central Credit Union. Records for the three payment services showed approximately 36 transactions that investigators believe were wagers for horse racing. According to the affidavit, the 36 transactions totaled roughly $17,000 in wagers. Investigators believe this amount represents only a fraction of the illegal wagers that Bejarano's operation facilitated over the past two years. The 36 transactions were a small sample from the large volume of transactions conducted through Bejarano's financial accounts from 2023 to 2025. Law enforcement's investigation found no evidence that Bejarano has any lawful employment. The affidavit claims that in late August, an undercover FBI agent attended a horse race at La Catedral Arena. At the event, agents observed betting couriers wearing backpacks and walking around the crowd at the races. Attendees would flag down the couriers and place cash in the backpacks. The undercover agent said they observed Bejarano communicating with the couriers and conducting hand-to-hand transactions of U.S. currency with them. Additionally, in late September, court documents state a second undercover operation involving two agents revealed the same backpack courier activity. Agents identified the two couriers as Orozco and Estrada through driver's license photos, recorded undercover footage, vehicle registrations and observations during previous races. The complaint states there is video footage captured showing Bejarano and Fajardo taking wagers from the undercover agents on horse races. Documents claim Tellez made a significant number of cash deposits to three different bank accounts at Zions Bank over the past 24 months. Many of the deposits made to the La Catedral Arena LLC account occurred within one to two days after races were held at La Catedral Arena. The total deposited into the La Catedral Arena bank account was approximately $100,000. Based on the investigation, law enforcement also believes Fajardo allegedly assisted in taking wagers and paying and collecting proceeds on race days. They believe six to 11 horse owners provided horses for races and managed decision-making authority over race organization and dates, betting pools and race entry requirements. In his affidavit, Special Agent Sheridan wrote that Tellez is involved in the illegal gambling business at La Catedral Arena because he owns the racetrack where the gambling occurs, knows about the illicit gambling given his presence in Facebook threads where gambling is discussed and his presence at the track during races, is a member of the committee that sets horse entry and minimum wager amounts, runs his horses in the races and places his own bets through Bejarano. Read Tellez's Full Criminal Complaint Here: Additional Criminal Complaints: Bejarano, Bejarano's wife, Fajardo, and Orozco's criminal complaints and warrants were also signed off on Oct.15, days before the raid. In the complaint, it alleges that Bejarano served as a bookmaker and administrator of unlicensed betting operations at La Catedral Arena. Investigators identified several others involved in the operation, including property owner Tellez, Bejarano's wife Fajardo, two betting couriers and between six and 11 horse owners who formed what participants called "the committee." Subpoenaed records in the complaint show payment services, including Venmo, Zelle and Cash App, revealed approximately 36 transactions totaling about $17,000 during the 2023, 2024 and 2025 racing seasons. Authorities believe this represents only a fraction of total wagers. A search warrant executed on Bejarano's Facebook account revealed messages showing coordination among participants. Conversations showed the group made decisions about race dates, entry requirements and betting pools, while also documenting members placing bets of $1,000 or more. According to the complaint against Orozco, he faces charges under federal law prohibiting illegal gambling businesses. The complaint, filed Oct. 15, alleges Orozco worked as a courier collecting bets at La Catedral Arena from June through September. Documents allege agents observed betting couriers wearing backpacks and collecting cash from attendees during undercover operations in August and September. Investigators documented Orozco wearing a distinctive hat while collecting wagers, matching his appearance in social media videos promoting the races. Read Bejarano's Complaint: Read Orozoco's Complaint: The Salt Lake City FBI's Boise Resident Agency, coordinating with the Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime and Gang Task Force, led the investigation. Update: On Tuesday, Oct. 21, an attorney with Ramirez-Smith Law stated that detainees were taken to locations in Utah, Rigby, and Burley. Attorney Nikki Ramirez-Smith is working with numerous detainees to secure them legal representation.