Trump Administration Files Charges Against Arizona Business Owner Busted for Hiring Illegals

Illegal immigrant Blademir Angulo Audeves is facing federal charges in Arizona after allegedly running a food truck business staffed entirely by other illegal aliens. He also re-entered the U.S. after a previous deportation and was found with firearms and ammunition.

Key Facts:

Blademir Angulo Audeves, a 42-year-old Mexican national, was arrested in Phoenix by Homeland Security Investigations.
He is accused of hiring at least a dozen illegal aliens to work at his Taqueria El Taco Loko restaurant chain.
Charges include Harboring an Illegal Alien, Knowingly Employing Unauthorized Aliens, Improper Entry, and Alien in Possession of a Firearm.
Authorities say he paid $12,000 each to smuggle some employees into the U.S. with repayment expected later.
He was previously deported in 2021 but re-entered illegally just three months later.

The Rest of The Story:

Federal prosecutors allege that Angulo Audeves knowingly employed a group of illegal aliens in his Arizona-based food truck operation, Taqueria El Taco Loko.

Agents with Homeland Security Investigations arrested him earlier this month after discovering that all of his workers were in the country illegally.

In addition to immigration violations, Angulo Audeves was found with three firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition during a raid at his home—actions which are illegal for someone in the U.S. unlawfully.

Court records indicate he financed the smuggling of some of his employees into the country by paying upfront for their transport and expecting reimbursement later.

According to authorities, “The defendant re-entered the country after a formal departure order in 2021, resuming operations and illegal hiring practices soon after.”

This isn’t the only such case.

Earlier this year, ICE arrested eight illegal workers and the two owners of a Texas bakery for similar offenses.

Arizona Taco Shop Owner Blademir Angulo Audeves, a 42-year-old illegal alien himself, was arrested Tuesday and hit with multiple federal charges, including harboring illegal aliens, employing unauthorized workers, and illegal possession of firearmshttps://t.co/0SV7G89uHW

— Biff Smallberries (@B_Smallberries) July 15, 2025

Commentary:

This case sends a clear signal that the Trump administration is taking illegal employment seriously, even when it involves smaller business operations like food trucks.

Prosecuting an illegal alien for hiring other illegal aliens is a good step forward. The law should apply evenly—regardless of the size of the business.

However, this enforcement feels like the low-hanging fruit.

What about the large-scale operations—the cannabis farms, meatpacking plants, and warehouses—where illegal labor and identity theft are rampant?

These businesses often rely on false documents and fraudulent hiring practices, yet few of them face public criminal charges.

When ICE conducts large raids and rounds up dozens or even hundreds of illegal workers, we often hear about the workers being detained or deported.

But we almost never hear about the companies and executives who benefited financially being prosecuted. Why?

The law clearly prohibits knowingly hiring unauthorized workers, and in many of these cases, it’s not just one or two people slipping through the cracks.

Entire shifts of employees are undocumented, and HR departments know it. Still, few charges are filed against those in charge.

That’s why the prosecution of Angulo Audeves, while necessary, feels like a drop in the bucket.

If we are serious about securing our border and protecting American workers, we need to go after the full supply chain of illegal labor—including the business owners who fund and enable it.

This kind of selective enforcement undermines public confidence in the legal system.

It signals to big corporations that they can get away with it, while smaller operators become easy targets. That double standard must end.

The federal government should be publishing numbers and names when it charges businesses—not just workers—with felonies for illegal employment practices.

Until that happens, enforcement will continue to look more symbolic than strategic.

The Bottom Line:

Federal agents arrested a previously deported illegal alien for running a food truck business that employed other illegal immigrants.

While the case is a win for law enforcement, it raises questions about why larger employers of illegal labor continue to escape prosecution.

Going after small operators like this one is a step in the right direction—but the real impact will come when the same laws are applied to big business, where the incentives and profits are much higher.

The American public is still waiting for that accountability.