Federal and local authorities launched one of the largest coordinated crackdowns in Texas history this week, arresting 45 people tied to a $22 million illegal gambling and money laundering network in the Houston area. The Wednesday evening raids, part of “Operation Double Down,” involved over 700 officers from 18 agencies.
A massive Houston gambling and money laundering network was busted after one of the most extensive Southern District of Texas law enforcement operations. Known as “Operation Double Down,” nearly 700 officers from 18 agencies executed 45 search and 40 seizure warrants in Houston.
The alleged $22 million enterprise was led by 61-year-old Richmond resident Nizar Ali. Sixteen people were charged. Pakistani national Ali managed dozens of underground game rooms using a network of family and allies while laundering money through real estate and high-end goods, authorities said.
Fourteen of 16 individuals were apprehended during raids. The operation caught 31 more people on immigration and gun charges, including one undocumented person accused of attacking a police officer. Over $4.5 million in cash, $6.5 million from financial accounts, $5 million in real estate and automobiles, 2,000 gambling machines, 100 Rolex watches, and eight guns were recovered.
U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei called the operation one of the most complicated and well-funded in recent history, using armed guards, monitoring systems, and exclusive membership protocols to hide. The indictment, returned March 26 and unsealed upon arrest, describes how Ali and co-conspirators concealed criminal gains through financial transactions.
Ali faces 32 federal program bribery charges with 10-year sentences. Sayed Ali, 59, and Stephanie Huerta, 35, are still wanted for the crime. The operation's size—in personnel and assets seized—makes it Houston's most significant of its kind, police said.
