Incredibly Successful Taco Stand Raided with Undercovers For Nothing

Last week, it was reported that city of Los Angeles authorities used undercover agents to shut down the wildly popular Avenue 26 Tacos stand, for essentially nothing. They reportedly confiscated the team’s equipment, with a massive police presence.

According to Eater:

“The Avenue 26 taco stand has become something of an underground sensation of late, owing to a ton of word-of-mouth street cred and a rather robust Yelp account. Along with all that fame has also come some backlash, with lines forming well before opening and staying strong all night long. Even though Avenue 26 is in an industrial stretch of the city, that can often rub neighbors and business owners the wrong way, and the bigger the operation the more visible it becomes to law enforcement and the health department. Last night, that all seemed to come to a head.”

The on-scene witness described cops everywhere, including unmarked cars and a crew that dismantled and hauled away the equipment on a truck.

Thankfully, the stand is already back in business. Strangely, LAPD is denying involvement with the raid, claiming it was the health department and not them. According to LAist:

“The popular Avenue 26 taco stand in Lincoln Heights appears to be back in business after an alleged Thursday night raid. Witnesses claim the initial raid was conducted by the Los Angeles Police Department, but the LAPD has since denied any involvement with the Thursday night incident.”

California taco trucks and street vendors are one of the greatest aspects of the state, from the perspective of a California native. In other countries and states, they are not nearly as prevalent.

And the authorities want to crack down on the most benign, nice things you can find on the streets of Los Angeles?

It needs no further explanation: this is the ugly face of regulation and while it may seem like a minor infringement upon people’s rights, it is not minor. It is the livelihood of the people running the business and a shining light in the community.

For info on how important this type of business is to the philosophy of freedom, watch this.

(Image credit: Eater)