By Savannah Hulsey Pointer
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made national headlines over the weekend due to a July 10 large-scale operation 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 added the death of one farm worker and stated that agents rescued at least 14 illegal immigrant children and arrested over 360 illegal immigrants.
Both locations targeted were part of the cannabis operation Glass House Farms, which is a farm that also grows tomatoes and cucumbers.
The shooter is still at large, the agency said.
ICE’s enforcement is part of the fulfillment of the Trump administration’s promise to carry out mass deportation of those in the country illegally.
Operation
According to DHS, agents entered farms in Carpinteria and Camarillo, 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, the DHS’s Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Tricia McLaughlin, said that ICE and Customs and Border Protection rescued children from “what looks like exploitation, forced child labor, and potentially human trafficking or smuggling.”
In total, 361 illegal immigrants were arrested at the sites in Carpinteria and Camarillo.
A spokesperson for the Ventura County Fire Department, Andrew Dowd, told The Associated Press that at least 12 were injured during the raid and protest.
CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott posted a photo to X with the rescued minors’ faces blurred, stating: “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 were criminal illegal immigrants with dangerous histories, including Jose Orellana from El Salvador, who has already been convicted of driving under the influence of a controlled substance and a hit-and-run with property damage.
Adriana Gonzalez-Gonzalez of Mexico was also arrested and was found to have been convicted three times for burglary and driving under the influence of a controlled substance.
Juan Duarte-Velasquez of Mexico was previously convicted of rape and driving under the influence of a controlled substance.
Likewise, Roman Izquierdo from Mexico was arrested working at the marijuana growing facility, and he has been previously convicted of kidnapping, attempted rape, and attempted child molestation, DHS said. He was previously deported from the United States in 2006.
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 a gun at law enforcement 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 shooter was seen on video firing a small weapon at the officers. The FBI has offered $50,000 for any information that leads to the arrest of the individual who fired at the officers.
Reactions
Among those who spoke out against the operation was U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), who said 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 of 2025, California’s Department of Cannabis Control noted that they “observed no minors on the premises,” but opened an active investigation after receipt of a complaint about the facility.
The Epoch Times has reached out to Glass House Farms’ parent company for more details.
