Owners of a Texas bakery are facing felony charges following a raid by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) that resulted in the arrest of eight individuals suspected of being in the country illegally.

The owners, Leonardo Baez and Nora Alicia Avila-Guel, who run Abby's Bakery, have reportedly admitted to being aware of their employees' immigration status. Two of the arrested individuals allegedly corroborated this, claiming the owners knowingly employed them despite their undocumented status.

The image above depicts officers from Homeland Security and the FBI conducting an immigration enforcement operation in El Paso, Texas.

The bakery owners are being charged under 8 USC 1324, a statute pertaining to harboring undocumented individuals. The federal complaint states that the arrests stemmed from a worksite enforcement action and that there was sufficient evidence to pursue charges. While such prosecutions of business owners have been less common in the past, the current administration has adopted a stricter stance on immigration enforcement.

The image shows a U.S. Customs and Border Protection patch, symbolizing the agency's role in border security.

This incident coincides with increased border security measures, including the deployment of troops to reinforce the border wall. Furthermore, the administration's designation of several gangs and cartels as foreign terrorist organizations reflects a broader effort to combat criminal activity within the country.

This aerial view shows a section of the U.S.-Mexico border wall.