The video shown is from previous coverage.
According to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office, an unauthorized food vending operation active along the Central Coast originates from Merced County.
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According to the district attorney’s office, this unlawful activity yields approximately $100,000 in monthly cash flow for the leaders of Merced. Even with such significant earnings, employees working at these stalls reportedly fail to receive even the minimum wage.
These unauthorized street-side food stalls can be identified by their distinctive blue and red tents that shelter the tables, grills, and rotating spits,” stated Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni. “The food being sold at these locations in Monterey County apparently undergoes preparation in Merced before being transported for more than two hours along the Central Coast, spanning areas such as Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Santa Clara.
Pacioni emphasized that the main issue with these setups is the absence of refrigeration or cooling systems in the transport vehicles, posing risks to the safety of the meat and condiments. These inadequate conditions facilitate the proliferation of harmful bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella, and Listeria.
Starting from September 2024, officials in Merced have discovered extensive locations for preparing food under unhygienic conditions within warehouses and garages.
“They discovered vertical rotisseries containing raw and partly cooked meat, some of which were not refrigerated, alongside other perishable items left open and without cooling. The confiscated equipment matched what was utilized at Monterey stalls, coupled with the hazardous food handling practices,” stated Pacioni.
Starting from late 2024, the Monterey County Environmental Health Department has seized unsafe food items from stalls located in Pajaro, Royal Oaks, Castroville, North Salinas, Fort Ord, Soledad, and Greenfield.
On Thursday, investigators from the District Attorney’s office along with Environmental Health officers seized food, equipment, and a vehicle from an unauthorized food stall located near Highway 68 and Canyon Del Rey, not far from Del Rey Oaks, as well as another operation situated at 348 San Juan Grade Road.
All these positions can be traced back to Merced County.
“At these locations, health inspectors discovered that the unauthorized vendors fail to adhere to even the most fundamental food safety protocols — meats are not stored at appropriate temperatures, there are no handwashing facilities available, and the risk of cross-contamination is significant,” stated Pacioni.
The prosecutor’s team is still amassing evidence against the heads of this operation, making clear that their investigation isn’t targeting the employees working at these stalls.
The prosecutor’s office encourages people not to back these unlawful businesses.
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Illegal food vendors on the Central Coast linked to Merced crime bosses raking in $100K each month
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