Federal immigration authorities apprehended undocumented immigrants with serious criminal backgrounds, including convictions for rape and child abuse, during a recent raid on marijuana farms in California.
On Thursday, the Joint Immigration Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) executed search warrants at two cannabis cultivation sites in Camarillo and Carpinteria. They reported rescuing over a dozen minors believed to be victims of exploitation connected to the industry. Many Democrats, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, swiftly condemned the operation, suggesting that the agents were targeting legitimate farms.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), around 500 protesters gathered to challenge the ICE agents, resulting in four citizens facing legal action for attempting to obstruct police efforts. The FBI has announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the capture of an individual who fired at law enforcement during the chaos.
Among those arrested was Izquierdo, a Mexican national who had been deported in 2006. He reportedly has a history involving attempted rape and child abuse. Another individual, Juan Duarte Velazquez, was in the U.S. illegally and had a past conviction for rape before his arrest at a weed farm. There was also Jose Orellana, an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador, who had previously been convicted of DUI and property damage.
Also included in the arrests was Adriana Gonzalez, a Mexican national who has faced robbery charges multiple times. All in all, the DHS indicated a total of 361 undocumented immigrants were apprehended during the operation.
Newsom commented on the distressing situation, mentioning children fleeing from tear gas and calling for their mothers amid the chaos. In a post on social media, he criticized President Trump, labeling him in unfavorable terms.
Newsom wasn’t alone in his criticism; several other Democratic figures, including Arizona Senator Reuben Gallego and California Senators Jimmy Gomez and Julia Brownlee, condemned the raid as well. Some were under the impression that the farms were growing ordinary crops, with Gomez specifically noting strawberries.
Graham Farrar, president of Glasshouse Farms, which owns the raided marijuana facility, has a history of political donations to Democrats, including a $10,000 contribution to Newsom’s 2018 gubernatorial campaign.
The DHS stated that the operation uncovered issues of human trafficking, including the potential exploitation of migrant children. A comment from [Homeland Security Secretary Kristi] Noem noted that this is among the largest operations since Trump assumed office, according to McLaughlin.
A spokesperson for the Democratic Party was not immediately available for comment.
