Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents apprehended poker pro Gal Yifrach on July 20. Yifrach is already facing illegal gambling and money laundering charges, which likely sparked the encounter at a Los Angeles airport.
According to public records, the agents detained the Israeli citizen at an ICE Processing Center in Adelanto, California. Yifrach has more than $3 million in live tournament winnings and won a World Series of Poker bracelet in 2018.
In 2022, federal prosecutors indicted Yifrach for allegedly running an illegal gambling business in California from 2018 to 2022. The indictment said he ran an enterprise “involving supplying, operating, and maintaining video slot machines and devices” and laundering the proceeds using chips from a legal poker room near his home.
Federal officials also allege Yifrach and three indicted alleged conspirators – Nick Shkolnik, Shalom Ifrah, and Yosef Yitzchak Beshari – made multiple deposits totaling less than $10,000 each in an attempt to conceal the funds and dodge federal transaction-reporting requirements.
Active In Poker Despite Allegations
Investigators allege that Yifrach used the laundered money for investing in real estate and making other purchases. The indictment includes the forfeiture of assets, including more than $500,000 and three properties in California.
Each defendant faces up to 25 years in federal prison if convicted.
It’s unclear if Yifrach was returning to the U.S. after a flight or attempting to leave to another location. He hasn’t been in custody for the last four years since the indictment was announced, but his immigration status appears to have triggered his detainment.
Despite the allegations leveled against him, Yifrach remained active at the poker tables over the last few years. Last year, he won $543,025 after taking down the 2025 PokerStars North American Poker Tour Las Vegas main event.
The 39-year-old is a fixture in Los Angeles high-stakes cash games. He has appeared on both the Live at the Bike and Hustler Casino Live streamed games.
Shkolnik is also a poker player and has $1.3 million in career tournament earnings, including winning a WSOP Circuit ring and Heartland Poker Tour title. He has also remained active at the tables and has several cashes over the last few months, including a fourth-place finish at a WSOP Circuit event last May in Los Angeles for $122,215.
