2 sushi restaurants in Jacksonville Beach and Ponte Vedra raided as part of ongoing federal investigation

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Florida. – The Kamiya 86 restaurant in Jacksonville Beach and its other location in Ponte Vedra were searched Wednesday morning as part of a federal investigation.

The Jacksonville Beach location was closed during a raid by agents from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

An eyewitness said the raid began in the parking lot when a white van pulled up.

“They came from behind and from the sides and entered a large white van,” the witness said. “They took everyone out of the van. They lined them up. They took a few people out of the van and put them in a police vehicle.”

Another witness who shot video of the raid said the people apparently arrested were placed in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection van.

Another witness took a photo of the same van, which appeared to contain what appeared to be an undercover agent talking to someone inside.

According to witnesses, the van, which had been surrounded by agents at the beginning of the raid, was towed away.

Witnesses said when agents stormed the restaurant, they entered through the front and back entrances. It is unclear who or what they were looking for, but when they left, the restaurant opened for business.

An employee who did not want to appear on camera said they had done nothing wrong and everything was back to normal.

The same cannot be said, however, for Kamiya 86, a restaurant just six miles down the road in Ponte Vedra, which was also raided by federal agents.

A sign on the front door of this location indicated that the business was closed for the day, and guests who came to eat had to find another restaurant.

Several witnesses said that police activity at this location occurred primarily in the rear of the building.

Another white van, normally parked behind the restaurant, was towed and, according to witnesses, several people were escorted out of the restaurant.

It seemed odd that two white vans were towed from two restaurants with the same name. Then a few employees of stores next to Kamyia 86 in Jacksonville Beach said that every day, shortly before opening, groups of about five to eight people were brought to the restaurant in a white van.

It is still unclear what led to the raid. A spokesperson for HSI said they could not comment until the investigation was complete.