Federal agents and protesters engaged in a violent clash during an official raid on a Southern California farm on Thursday (local time). Authorities used smoke canisters to disperse protesters as border patrol and CBP vehicles blocked roads in Camarillo’s farm belt, with military-style vehicles and a helicopter overhead.The raid was carried out by federal agents executing a warrant at a marijuana facility. According to the department of homeland security, the operation involved Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). While cannabis cultivation is legal in California with proper licensing, and the company, Glass House Farms, does hold valid permits, officials have not disclosed the specific reason for the warrant.Moreover, a protester was seen allegedly firing a gun at federal agents, moments after agents used smoke canisters to disperse the crowd, according to ABC7.Judith Ramos, a 22-year-old nurse assistant, said her father, who works in the tomato fields, called her Thursday morning warning that immigration agents were at his job. She rushed to the farm, saw people being taken away on a bus, and joined protesters before agents deployed a deterrent that affected her eyes. She hasn’t heard from her father since and said his truck remains at the site.“They didn’t want us to get any closer, and they started firing,” AP quoted Ramos saying. “I got some in my eyes. I had to put milk on my face.”The raid comes amid a broader crackdown by federal immigration agents in Southern California, targeting places like farms and parking lots and heightening fear in immigrant communities. Backed by National Guard units, recent operations have included heavily armed caravans. During Thursday’s raid, emergency crews responded and took three people to the hospital, though details on their injuries remain unclear.
