Federal immigration agents arrested 24 people in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, on September 25 during a multi-agency operation led by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Officials said the action targeted people connected to a “transnational human and drug trafficking network,” but have provided little evidence to support that claim.
What Happened
The operation began in a Walmart parking lot where local dairy workers often meet before carpooling to area farms. Agents then moved to several private homes across the county.
The FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Customs and Border Protection, and Internal Revenue Service all took part.
Authorities first reported 21 arrests but later confirmed 24.
Of the six individuals publicly named, only one — Jose Hilario Moreno Portillo — faces a sex-related charge. He was already in ICE custody before the raid and has not been convicted. The other five have prior convictions for identity theft, driving under the influence, disorderly conduct, and traffic offenses.
Links to Dairy Employment
The raid did not take place on a dairy farm, but several of those detained reportedly work in the local dairy industry. Manitowoc County has the highest concentration of large-scale dairy farms in Wisconsin, making it a major employer of immigrant labor.
Many immigrant workers lack legal status and are unable to obtain driver’s licenses in Wisconsin, leading to recurring traffic-related offenses when they travel to and from work.
A Broader Pattern
This latest enforcement follows similar ICE actions on dairy farms in New York, Vermont, and New Mexico earlier this year. Federal agencies have described those raids as part of efforts to dismantle criminal networks, though many detained individuals were long-term farm employees rather than trafficking suspects.
What It Means for the Industry
Immigrant labor is essential to Wisconsin’s dairy production.
Industry data show that more than half of the state’s dairy workforce consists of immigrants, both documented and undocumented.
Farm groups worry that continued enforcement could strain an already limited labor pool and disrupt milk production in a region known as “America’s Dairyland.”
For now, federal authorities have released few details about the investigation. The full impact of the Manitowoc arrests on Wisconsin’s dairy sector remains uncertain.
