Department of Homeland Security: 4 arrested in area raids have criminal convictions
DHS provided basic details about each in a July 13 news release but did not immediately respond to emails seeking additional information, such as age, city of residence, and court of conviction for the four individuals with apparent criminal backgrounds during the raid at Glass House Farms, one of the largest licensed cannabis farms in California.
The dual raids in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties are being touted as one of the country's largest since the Trump administration launched its deportation effort.
The four convicted workers include:
A man originally from Mexico had been convicted of kidnapping, attempted rape and attempted child molestation and was previously deported in 2006, according to DHS. While his convictions could be anywhere, searches of the man's name in Ventura County and Santa Barbara superior court records did not result in any matches.
Another man originally from Mexico had been convicted of rape and a DUI, according to DHS. His name also did not have relevant matches in Ventura and Santa Barbara County superior courts.
A man originally from El Salvador had been convicted of a hit-and-run with property damage and a DUI, according to DHS. Ventura County Superior Court records indicate someone with the same name pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in 2011.
A woman originally from Mexico had been convicted of serial burglary and a DUI, according to DHS. Ventura County Superior Court records indicate someone with the same name was found guilty in 2023 of driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08% or higher.
The three men and one woman, included in the agency's news release, account for about 1% of workers swept up in the raids at both sites. The Star could not independently verify the convictions of the four named.
DHS also said four U.S. citizens were being criminally processed for allegedly assaulting or resisting federal officers while protesting the raid.
One of them is CSU Channel Islands professor Jonathan Caravello, 37, who was being held at the federal Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, according to prison records. He appeared in federal court in Los Angeles July 14.
A farmworker also died July 12 as a result of injuries suffered during the raid two days earlier. His niece Yesenia Duran said in a post on online fundraising site GoFundMe that he had been hard working and an innocent farmer.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is offering a $50,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of one protester who allegedly fired a gun at the federal agents on July 10 near the raid.
Makena Huey is an investigative and watchdog reporter for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at makena.huey@vcstar.com. This story was made possible by a grant from the Ventura County Community Foundation's Fund to Support Local Journalism.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: DHS: 4 arrested in area immigration raids have criminal convictions
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