Federal agents raided Buona Forchetta in South Park on Friday after discovering 19 employees used fraudulent green cards. SAN DIEGO — Search warrants obtained by CBS 8 revealed new information about what led to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid at popular Italian restaurant Buona Forchetta in South Park Friday evening. The immigration raid stemmed from a tip to federal authorities on November 1, 2020, according to the warrant. The tip claimed Buona Forchetta allegedly employed undocumented immigrants. The tip also claimed that the restaurant's owner, Matteo Cattaneo, mistreated the employees by making them work shifts longer than 12 hours with no breaks and verbally abusing them. On January 31, 2025, Homeland Security Investigations received a follow-up tip alleging that the restaurant employed undocumented workers. The most recent tip investigators received did not make claims of mistreatment of the restaurant employees. The warrants show Homeland Security officials went to the restaurant in February and asked for employee documentation and determined 19 of them had submitted fraudulent green cards. That number represents nearly half of Buona Forchetta's staff, according to the search warrants. The investigation, which included exploring immigration databases, found those 19 green cards to be counterfeit, according to the investigating agent. The warrants reveal that agents discovered the names and dates of birth on the cards were not in the correct font or position. Some of the cards also displayed inconsistent holograms or authentication features and poor-quality photographs. Investigators were able to identify seven of the employees who allegedly used fraudulent green cards, according to the documents reviewed by CBS 8. Those workers were found to have histories of immigration violations, but did not have violent criminal histories. The other 12 employees accused of using fraudulent identification documents could not be positively identified, according to the warrant. On May 22, Homeland Security Investigations began a surveillance operation on and around Buona Forchetta. The operation continued on May 23 and 25. The search warrant was signed by Judge Karen Crawford on Thursday, May 29. The warrant was then executed on Friday, May 30, when federal agents raided the restaurant and arrested four undocumented workers. According to the warrant, the practice of intentionally hiring undocumented immigrants is a violation that could lead to imprisonment and fines. Four people were detained during the raid on Friday. CBS 8 has learned that those detained at the restaurant were dishwashers and servers. According to Congressman Scott Peters' office, three are from Mexico, and one is from Colombia. One person may have already self-deported. The others are being held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center. Buona Forchetta closed its San Diego and Orange County locations on Monday and Tuesday following the raid. The restaurant is expected to reopen for normal operations on Wednesday, June 4. ICE defends raids During a news conference in Boston Monday, ICE acting director Todd Lyons defended his department's tactics during raids. "People are out there taking photos of the [agents] names, their faces, and posting them online with death threats to their family and themselves," said Lyons. "So I'm sorry if people are offended by them wearing masks, but I'm not going to let my officers and agents go out there and put their lives on the line and their family on the line because people don't like what immigration enforcement is." San Diego Council Member's social media post Saturday, San Diego Council Member Sean Elo-Rivera posted a screenshot of ICE agents carrying out the raid and scrawled the word "Terrorists" across it. A reporter at a national outlet, reposted it and it caught the attention of White House Deputy Director Stephen Miller as well as HSI, who reposted it too. Thousands of people have commented online. Councilmember Elo-Rivera told reporters Tuesday he and his family have received threats. "Obviously I don't like the idea of people trying to intimidate me and my family for me speaking the truth and stating my opinion. And I think that that's a sign to all of us about it. It proves the point. It proves the exact point I was making. They are trying to terrorize us into submission," said Councilmember Elo Rivera. "We do something terrible. Someone speaks out against it. We're going to attack that person and tell everyone else, 'Don't you dare, because you'll be attacked next.' That cannot be the country that this is going to become, I refuse to stand by and watch that happen. And I think that everyone, no matter your party affiliation, shouldn't be okay with that either," he added.