Before sunrise on Friday, investigators packed into La Lunita Cafe in Hialeah, seizing several electronic gaming machines and walking multiple people out of the business in handcuffs. Video from the scene shows officers loading the devices into a truck while customers and nearby residents looked on from the sidewalk.
Raid Caught on Video
According to CBS News Miami, investigators moved in on La Lunita Cafe early Friday and removed gaming machines from inside the business. The station’s footage, credited to reporter Ivan Taylor, shows officers escorting people away in handcuffs, although it does not specify the charges or how many individuals were detained.
Not the First Major Incident at the Spot
The cafe was also the site of a daytime shooting in January that left one person injured, as reported by NBC 6. Hoodline previously covered that episode, noting that the earlier incident unfolded near the business on West Eighth Court.
Why the Machines Draw Enforcement
Slot-style “maquinitas” or eight-liner machines have been a recurring enforcement priority in South Florida. Past operations in the region have resulted in the confiscation of large numbers of devices and, in some cases, license revocations, according to Miami New Times and PolitiFact. Authorities say machines that pay out cash can run afoul of state gambling laws, while some operators counter that the devices are “games of skill” rather than illegal slots.
What Officials Have Released (And What They Haven’t)…