La Playa Taco Shop near the Catamaran Resort in Mission Beach has closed for good after serving the Mission Beach community for 30 years.

Saturday, Sept. 19 was the last day the doors were open at the taqueria, known for its carne asada, carnitas and fish tacos.

Victor Rodriguez Ocampo Sr., 54, owner of La Playa Taco Shop, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on Halloween morning, Oct. 31, 2025, outside of his National City home.

He was held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center until he was deported to Mexico this past January.

In his absence, his family, including his son Victor Jr., stepped in to run the business. His son has since joined the Navy. The family declined further comment on the closing of their business.

A GoFundMe online fundraiser was set up immediately after Ocampo’s arrest to help pay for his legal expenses and keep his business functioning in his absence.

To date, the fundraiser has raised $25,563.

Times of San Diego reached out to Rodriguez Jr. for an interview about the closing, but he declined to comment.

In a December 2025 interview, Rodriguez Jr. said his dad ran La Playa for about 30 years, adding the ICE raid took their family completely by surprise.

“What really astonished us is we did not have a warning whatsoever,” he said last December. “There was no card in the mail or anything. He was getting ready early in the morning to pick up ingredients for the restaurant, and as he was getting into his truck, about four ICE cars came in and took him.”

Rodriguez Jr. characterized his father as the heart and soul behind La Playa Taco Shop.

“La Playa Taco Shop has become more than just a place to eat; it’s a gathering spot where he’s welcomed everyone with kindness and generosity,” he said. “My dad is a strong family man who has always put others before himself, supporting our family, his employees, and the incredible community he’s built through his small business. This sudden and devastating situation has left our family in shock and struggling to keep things together.”

Rodriguez Ocampo’s family is mostly on the U.S. side of the border. “He has nothing over (in Mexico), essentially,” his son told Times of San Diego previously.