Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made national headlines over the weekend because of a large-scale operation it conducted on July 10 at two California cannabis farms. The enforcement action ended with hundreds taken into custody amid reports of ICE agents being fired upon.
In a July 11 statement, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that “brave agents faced gunfire as they executed criminal search warrants at a marijuana facility.”
A later update from the department said agents rescued more than a dozen children and arrested 361 illegal immigrants. One farm worker who fell from a greenhouse roof while evading authorities later died on July 12, his family reported.
Both locations were part of a cannabis operation managed by Glass House Farms, which also grows tomatoes and cucumbers.
The shooter is still at large, the agency said.
ICE enforcement operations are part of the Trump administration’s effort to carry out deportations of those in the country illegally, especially criminals.
Operation
According to DHS, agents entered farms in Carpinteria and Camarillo, California, executing criminal warrants for illegal immigrants. During the raid, agents found at least 14 illegal immigrant children, according to the agency.
Shortly after the operation, Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs at DHS, said that ICE and Customs and Border Protection rescued children from “what looks like exploitation, forced child labor, and potentially human trafficking or smuggling.”
Andrew Dowd, a spokesperson for the Ventura County Fire Department, told The Associated Press that at least 12 people were injured during the raid and a related protest.
CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott posted a photo to X with the rescued minors’ faces blurred, with the statement: “These are the juveniles found in the marijuana facility—almost all unaccompanied, one as young as 14. California, are you ready to partner with us to stop child exploitation?”
Arrests
According to DHS, several of those arrested had criminal histories, including Roman Izquierdo of Mexico, who previously had been convicted of kidnapping, attempted rape, and attempted child molestation. He was previously deported from the United States in 2006.
Arrestee Adriana Gonzalez-Gonzalez of Mexico had been convicted three times for burglary and driving under the influence of a controlled substance.
Juan Duarte-Velasquez of Mexico had been convicted of rape and driving under the influence of a controlled substance.
Jose Orellana of El Salvador had been convicted of driving under the influence of a controlled substance and of a hit-and-run with property damage.
Clashes With Protesters
According to DHS, “more than 500 rioters” appeared at the scene and attempted to prevent ICE agents from carrying out immigration enforcement.
At least four U.S. citizens were criminally charged for assaulting or resisting officers. Additionally, vehicles were damaged, and one protester fired on the officers.
“During the operation, a violent agitator fired a gun at our brave officers. While ICE and CBP officers are being assaulted by rioters and dodging bullets to save children, Sanctuary politicians are demonizing ICE and CBP. We will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone who assaults or doxes federal law enforcement,” McLaughlin said.
The FBI has offered $50,000 for any information that leads to the individual’s arrest.
Reactions
Among those who spoke out against the operation was Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), who wrote on X: “How many MS-13 gang members are waking up at 3 a.m. to pick strawberries? O’yeah, zero!
“Trump said he’d go after ‘bad hombres,’ but he’s targeting the immigrant farm workers who feed America.”
In response to Gomez’s post, the White House stated on X: “That ain’t produce, holmes. THAT’S PRODUCT.”
Glass House, which is a licensed California cannabis grower, said in a statement that the agents who carried out the operations had valid warrants. The company also said it is assisting workers with finding legal representation.
“Glass House has never knowingly violated applicable hiring practices and does not and has never employed minors,” the statement said.
During a visit to the farm in May, California’s Department of Cannabis Control noted it “observed no minors on the premises,” but opened an active investigation after receipt of a complaint about the facility.
Glass House Farms’ parent company did not return a request for comment.
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