FBI investigating 11 SJ businesses busted in illegal gambling raid

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- San Jose police and the FBI conducted a massive illegal gambling raid on Tuesday evening, where they hauled off as many as 100 gaming machines.

But the huge sting, dubbed "Operation Omni," is designed to clamp down on more than illegal gambling. It also goes after other crimes that go along with it.

Golden King Cafe and others may have been raided but the work is far from over. The FBI is now trying to figure out who owns the businesses and who is operating the illegal gambling machines.

A cellphone video shows FBI swarming in on Xanh Cafe. "I've seen game machines, but I didn't know they were gambling," witness Jaaziel Cuevas said.

Tom Ngo, the manager of Hung's Auto Body, says otherwise. "I do see them. So it is relatively common."

Ngo says Golden King Cafe has been raided in the past and last December, police say a man was killed near the shopping strip -- violence they link back to the cafe.

Even with the raids, Ngo is not so sure the cafes will remain closed. "I'm not sure what loopholes they have. They always just seem to keep running," he said.

Xing Xing Cafe was open early Wednesday morning, less than 24 hours after authorities confiscated slot machines and other gaming devices and put them all in a moving truck.

A total of 11 Vietnamese cafes were busted in East San Jose, and the largest crackdown in the city's history didn't go unnoticed.

"It makes us scared. They cover everything, they park and later, about 10-15 minutes, they took everything in the customer's coffee shop. They tied them up," Susan's Hair & Nail's Susan Ngo said.

Several people were detained. The FBI has not confirmed if anyone has been arrested.

They say that illegal gambling leads to other violent crimes, drugs and prostitution.

Tom Ngo worries about the image other Vietnamese business owners could face. "It can definitely put a mark on the Vietnamese community," he said.