During a tense incident on Thursday, federal agents discovered ten unaccompanied undocumented minors, including a 14-year-old, working on a California marijuana farm. This prompted calls for an investigation into potential child labor violations.
The minors were found at Glasshouse Farm in Southern California amid a chaotic operation, where reports indicated that shots were fired at law enforcement, as noted by Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott.
“This is Newsom’s California,” Scott remarked, referring to a video shared by California Governor Gavin Newsom that depicted the attack.
On Friday, Homeland Security Advisor Tricia McLaughlin stated that federal authorities had “rescued” nine children who had crossed the border without adult supervision.
McLaughlin expressed concerns that the circumstances looked like exploitation, with potential violations of child labor laws, and possibly human trafficking or smuggling involved.
Scott announced an investigation into child labor practices at the farm via social media.
According to reports, when immigrants and border agents arrived at the cannabis farm, they encountered aggressive crowds attempting to obstruct access.
Agents eventually managed to disperse the protesters, some of whom reportedly threw rocks at them. Amid the fracas, it seems that a masked individual fired shots, leading the FBI to offer a $50,000 reward for information that could lead to the assailant’s arrest.
After a prolonged confrontation lasting about four hours, the federal government established blockades using military-style vehicles.
Several individuals were detained in the process, but it’s unclear how many were taken into custody. Reports suggest that the area smelled of marijuana as individuals were processed.
In response to the incident, Glass House Farms stated on social media that it had “complied with the agent’s search warrant” during the ICE visit on Thursday.
The farm is licensed to cultivate cannabis in Ventura County, and as per local reports, half of its operations are dedicated to growing tomatoes and cucumbers.
Government watchdogs have highlighted that the Biden administration has reportedly lost track of around 320,000 unaccompanied immigrant children, with many believed to be vulnerable to sex trafficking, forced labor, and other forms of exploitation.
