When federal agents descended on two food markets this month in Colorado Springs, they claimed the restaurant-grocery stores profited from illegal drug trafficking and/or "enabled" the laundering of "illicit proceeds."

But David Garcia, the son of the owner of the business targeted, El Ranchito, says his family is not selling drugs or laundering money. Instead, the family is helping the Latino community by sending money to families abroad.

During the Aug. 13 operation, at least 20 agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration and other federal organizations, including Homeland Security Investigations, flooded into El Ranchito, 3950 Airport Road, and El Ranchito No. 2, 3815 Maizeland Road, in an apparent money laundering investigation.

DEA agents arrived in unmarked cars, blocking off

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