FBI raids Florida Trump Towers condo owned by Russian businessmen

The luxury Trump Towers at Sunny Isles Beach in South Florida reportedly welcomed a different type of visitor on Thursday: the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The raid by the FBI on the property, for which former president Donald Trump has a licensing deal to use his name, was reported by Miami Herald.

"A squad of FBI special agents, assisted by local police, descended on Trump Tower III at 15811 Collins Ave. to carry out a search of unit 4102," the outlet reported. "It’s owned by a shell company, MIC-USA LLC, that is controlled by two Russian businessmen, Oleg Sergeyevich Patsulya and Agunda Konstantinovna Makeeva, according to state corporation records."

Miami Herald further reported:

"On Friday, a spokesman for the FBI’s Miami field office said it 'was conducting court-ordered law enforcement activity in the vicinity of that location,' but provided no other information."

The area is reportedly known as "Little Moscow."

"Sunny Isles Beach has been dubbed 'Little Moscow' by locals because it’s home to many Russian expatriates," according to the report. "Some expressed concerns about a backlash against their affluent beachfront community after the Russian military invaded Ukraine last year and the U.S. government started pursuing sanctions against oligarchs who hide their wealth in real estate in South Florida and other parts of the country."

The shell company reportedly bought the three-bedroom, three-bath unit residence at Trump Tower III for $1.65 million 10 years ago.

"In 2020, BAC Florida Bank, which provided financing for the purchase, sued Patsulya and Makeeva, claiming they defaulted on their $975,000 mortgage," the article states. "The dispute was resolved later that year, though it’s not clear how from the court records. MIC-USA, controlled by the two Russians, continued to own the 41st-floor unit at Trump Tower III."