Former Minnesota Vikings team captain Jack Brewer says he has watched what he describes as a long-running pattern of fraud tied to parts of Minnesota’s Somali community, culminating this week in a series of federal raids across Minneapolis.
Brewer, who played for the Vikings in the early 2000s after a standout college career with the University of Minnesota, told Fox News Digital that the developments felt overdue. He pointed to what he claims he saw years ago, when individuals allegedly involved in fraud were openly spending money on high-end cars.
Now, with federal agents executing search warrants across more than 20 locations, including several childcare centers, Brewer says the situation is finally being taken seriously. The investigation centers on businesses accused of billing the government for services that were never provided, particularly in daycare programs meant to support low-income families.
Authorities carried out 22 federal searches on Tuesday as part of the operation. According to officials, the probe is focused on fraud and is not related to immigration enforcement. Many of the businesses under scrutiny are reportedly owned by members of the local Somali community.
Brewer praised federal officials for stepping in, arguing that local and state authorities have failed to address the issue. He described the alleged schemes as targeting vulnerable people, saying programs designed to help families in need were instead being exploited for profit.
Jack Brewer is weighing in on the Minneapolis raids — and he’s not holding back.
The former Vikings captain is praising Kash Patel and the FBI, saying they’re going after alleged Somali fraudsters who “prey on vulnerable people.” pic.twitter.com/JdwLgttpDY
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 29, 2026
He also suggested that knowledge of how to work the system spreads within networks, allowing fraud to grow over time. In his view, that has turned government assistance programs into what he called “industries of corruption.”
At the same time, Brewer framed the issue more broadly, criticizing Minnesota’s criminal justice system. He argued that both violent and financial crimes are not being adequately punished, claiming that lenient sentencing and quick releases have contributed to a sense that there are few real consequences.
Minnesota has faced scrutiny before over large-scale fraud cases. One of the most prominent involved the Feeding Our Future nonprofit, where prosecutors alleged that hundreds of millions of dollars in pandemic relief funds were misused. Dozens of people have been charged in connection with that case, and many have already been convicted through guilty pleas or at trial. A significant number of those defendants are of Somali descent.
Brewer also pointed to social factors he believes make parts of the state more vulnerable to fraud, including high rates of single-parent households. He argued that these conditions, combined with what he sees as weak oversight, create opportunities for abuse.
