Food truck owner in Minnesota recounts falling victim to scheme targeting Spanish speakers

 A Minnesota woman's dream started with excitement, but quickly unraveled into loss.

For Rosario Hoppe Sanchez, cooking has always been more than a passion. She hoped to turn her love of food into a business, grow beyond her home kitchen and eventually serve customers from a food truck.

"The satisfaction that I have when I am cooking is imagining what the client will think or feel once they taste the food," Sanchez smiled. 

After a year of saving, her family finally purchased an 8-foot-by-16-foot trailer and La Cuchara was born in 2025. 

Shortly after buying the food truck, Sanchez said her dream took an unexpected turn when the dealer said the trailer was being taken back by the manufacturer, ultimately leaving her with nothing. 

Months later, her family saw the food truck for sale online in North Carolina with a price tag of $28,000. 

"It's inconceivable. I can't understand why there are people with such a cold heart to be able to abuse the needs or the dreams of people,"  Sanchez said. 

They quickly filed a police report in hopes of getting answers. 

Two months ago, the food truck was recovered and returned to her. 

"Thank god I was able to recover my business, my future, but we are many people who are victims," she said. 

South St. Paul, Minnesota, investigators say that the report led to a trail of transactions stretching across three states. A scheme targeting more than 30 Spanish speakers with a combined loss of more than $750,000.

While investigators continue examining the case, Sanchez is looking ahead to the next chapter, taking her talent on the road. 

The case is now in the hands of the Dakota County Attorney's Office and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Texas.

The Minnesota Attorney General's Office has received complaints and is actively investigating the matter.