Immigration Operation at California Cannabis Farms Turns Violent

Carpinteria and Camarillo, California— On the morning of Thursday, July 10, federal immigration agents (ICE), supported by National Guard troops, conducted raids at two licensed cannabis cultivation sites operated by Glass House Farms: one in Carpinteria (Santa Barbara County) and another in Camarillo (Ventura County). During the operation, hundreds of activists and farmworkers gathered to protest the intervention.

In Carpinteria, approximately ten workers were detained before officers deployed tear gas and flashbangs to disperse the crowd. U.S. Representative Salud Carbajal was blocked from entering the site and condemned the action as a “disproportionate display of militarized force.” During the confrontation, Councilwoman Mónica Solórzano fell and sustained an arm injury after being pushed by agents.

In Camarillo, tensions escalated sharply when a man—allegedly fleeing from agents—opened fire in their direction. In response, tear gas and non-lethal rounds were used to contain dozens of demonstrators, some of whom threw objects and rocks at federal forces. Three people were hospitalized due to gas inhalation or injuries, while others were treated on-site.

Authorities also discovered at least ten undocumented minors at the Camarillo site—eight of whom were unaccompanied—prompting an investigation into possible child labor violations.

State and local officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom, strongly condemned the use of tear gas in the presence of children, calling the operation “excessive” and “traumatizing” for farmworker families. Glass House Farms stated it fully complied with the federal search warrants.

U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, Bill Essayli, announced that criminal charges will be filed against those who interfered with the operation and offered a $50,000 reward for information on the individual who fired at agents.