ST. AUGUSTINE — Homeland Security Investigations agents raided Dymeng Technology Solutions on Paseo Reyes Drive Thursday morning, surprising employees at nearby businesses.
The businesses asked not to be identified, but employees said they watched unmarked vans pull into the lot as agents donned vests and worked with a K-9 to secure the area.
Katie Picciano said she was surprised to see the agents.
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“I noticed two officers and a woman in a blue T-shirt with a clipboard that said ‘HSI Support,’ and I was immediately confused,” Picciano, who works nearby, said.
Action News Jax’s Yona Gavino knocked on the door to Dymeng Technology Solutions and exchanged words with someone inside.
A man told her to “get out.” He did not identify himself and quickly took off without shedding light on why agents with tactical gear swept the business.
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A spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations Jacksonville confirmed the warrant execution but declined to provide further details, saying:
“Homeland Security Investigations Jacksonville executed a federal search warrant this morning in St. Augustine. It is part of an ongoing investigation, and there is no additional information available at this time.”
“They told us they were acting on a search warrant and were ‘searching for stuff’; it seemed like search and recovery, almost CSI-style,” Picciano said.
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She was puzzled by the scale of the operation in such a small community.
“Like, what is Homeland Security doing in such a small community like Palencia? It’s such a huge department—what’s happening right under our noses every day?” she said.
Authorities have not released additional information. We will update this story as new details on the investigation become available.
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