Immigration operation at California cannabis farms leads to clash between federal agents and protesters
Multiple agents arrived at the Glass House Farms, a state-licensed cannabis facility which is considered illegal under federal law, in Camarillo. Federal authorities had a warrant for illegal employees, Fox News has learned.
Another raid also occurred at another Glass House Farm in Carpinteria.
People were seen confronting the agents, who used tear gas and smoke bombs. Federal personnel used gas to push back protesters who arrived on scene after getting word of a raid.
Military helicopters were also seen flying low over the fields, a maneuver generally used to flush out people hiding.
"It is becoming increasingly apparent that the actions taken by ICE are bold and aggressive, demonstrating insensitivity towards the direct impact on our community," Luis Mc Arthur, the mayor of nearby Oxnard, said in a social media post. "These actions are causing unnecessary distress and harm. I remain committed to working alongside our Attorney General and the Governor's office to explore potential legal avenues to address these activities."
Footage captured by the news outlet showed several people being detained.
Four people were transported to the hospital, the Ventura County Fire Department said. Three additional people were treated at the scene without being transported, Fox Los Angeles reported.
U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., said he went to the scene of the raid in Capenteria, saying 50 ICE agents arrived at the farm.
"This is deplorable. This should not be happening on our soil," he said in a video message. "Individuals dressed like military personnel on our soil. We don't do that in America."
"This was overkill. This was ridiculous. This was a bunch of crap," he added.
Thursday's raid is one of many that have happened in Southern California, much to the anger of local and state Democratic officials.
Earlier this week, immigration authorities were in MacArthur Park in Los Angeles conducting a raid. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom condemned the operation and the Trump administration for targeting illegal immigrants for deportation.
Bass has demanded the federal government end such operations in the city.
Los Angeles and eight other cities have sued the Trump administration, calling the tactics used by federal agents "unconstitutional," arguing they are being used to instill fear rather than to protect the public.
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CNN
2 minutes ago
- CNN
How watches stolen from Keanu Reeves in Los Angeles ended up in the hands of a gang in Chile
Six watches that had been stolen from actor Keanu Reeves in Los Angeles were handed over to the FBI this week at the US Embassy in Santiago, Chile, nearly 9,000 kilometers away, to be returned to their owner. The discovery of the luxury watches 'was circumstantial,' the embassy said, as it occurred during a broader police investigation into home burglaries in the eastern part of the Chilean capital. Authorities were targeting a criminal group, not imagining its ramifications would extend to Hollywood. 'In 2023, this gang was committing robbery offenses. Once they were fenced in and (the case) became widely reported due to the violence they used, some of these individuals migrated and began committing crimes abroad using the same modus operandi,' Deputy Prefect Marcelo Varas, head of the Robbery and Criminal Intervention Investigation Brigade of the Chilean Investigative Police, told CNN. Varas explained that the gang sought to break into empty homes, but if they encountered someone, they would act violently. During the operations and raids, investigators located one of the suspects in a house in the commune of Peñalolén, where they found valuable items, including watches, one of which bore an inscription. 'One of the detectives, who liked the John Wick film series, managed to recognize the item,' Varas said. 'He had read the story about the (stunt) doubles, each of whom had been given a watch. We tracked them down and actually made a match,' he added. In 2021, Reeves gifted Rolex Submariners to the stunt crew he worked with on 'John Wick: Chapter 4.' Each one had his name on the back with the caption, 'Thank you, JW4, 2021, The John Wick Five.' Prosecutor Claudia Barraza said at the embassy handover ceremony there was no evidence that the criminal group that broke into Reeves' home was the same one that brought the watches to Chile. But Varas pointed out that authorities had also seized a cell phone used by the individual who allegedly committed the robbery. On that device, they found photos taken in the United States showing the watch in question, a gun, and the actor's driver's license, leading investigators to believe the pictures were taken at Reeves' home. Varas explained that, due to legal issues, they had to wait for the actor to confirm that they were his belongings, and said he recognized them from photos at a Los Angeles police station. In the John Wick saga, ironically, Reeves plays a former hitman seeking revenge after his home was burglarized (and his dog killed). But the 2023 incident isn't the only break-in the movie star has experienced. In 2014, months before the release of the first film in the series, the Los Angeles Police reported two break-ins at his home in a span of three days, although no burglaries were reported during those incidents. In the 2023 robbery, Reeves' losses are believed to have amounted to $7 million, according to Hugo Haeger, deputy director of Police and Criminal Investigation in Chile. CNN has reached out to the FBI for more information on the case. Varas says there's 'always' coordination with other countries' security agencies, which includes the exchange of intelligence information. One aspect of the investigation is determining how the stolen items entered Chile. The deputy prefect indicated that gangs most commonly use parcel systems or send items through tourists with no criminal record. Thus, the watch could easily have passed through airport security on the wrist of a traveler who didn't raise suspicions. 'Watches are a prized possession; there are people who dedicate themselves to collecting them. If it's a brand, or a piece valued for being unique, or a famous actor's, they want it even more,' Varas said. In the case of Reeves' Rolex Submariner, the model is offered for more than $10,000 in official stores, but on the black market and with the actor's name on it, it could be worth much more. The fates of the other suspected gang members vary. The brother of the alleged perpetrator of the Los Angeles robbery has been convicted of robbery with intimidation and customs fraud. Another suspect, Varas notes, died in a confrontation between criminal gangs. The investigator also said that, while one traveled to the US and continued committing crimes, another traveled to Argentina, where he was arrested for home robberies in Buenos Aires. 'Unfortunately, we export this type of crime, but we also provide' information to the law enforcement agencies, Varas said. In December, following home burglaries in wealthy areas of Oakland County, Michigan, Sheriff Mike Bouchard told Fox 2 that 'extremely well-trained' Chileans were to blame. He demanded an end to Chile's participation in the Visa Waiver program, which allows its citizens to enter the US without a visa for travel of up to 90 days for tourism or business. His comments caused an uproar in the South American country. During a recent visit to Chile, US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem signed a letter of intent to expand a Biometric Identification Transnational Migration Alert program with Chile, arguing that is necessary for tracking criminals. Regarding visas, she said, 'Chile's continued collaboration with our visa waiver program is invaluable to our country, and we appreciate their partnership in that regard.' Meanwhile, the deputy legal attaché at the US Embassy, Blaine Freestone, who will be responsible for personally presenting the watches to Reeves, emphasized that 'thanks to the ongoing cooperation with Chilean authorities, justice is being delivered to victims of transnational crimes.' Varas asserted that the Visa Waiver program generates ongoing cooperation from law enforcement agencies. 'They need our information,' he said. CNN's Michael Rios contributed to this report.
Associated Press
32 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Judge allows the National Science Foundation to withhold hundreds of millions of research dollars
NEW YORK (AP) — The National Science Foundation can continue to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars from researchers in several states until litigation aimed at restoring it plays out, a federal court ruled Friday. U.S. District Judge John Cronan in New York declined to force the NSF to restart payments immediately, while the case is still being decided, as requested by the sixteen Democrat-led states who brought the suit, including New York, Hawaii, California, Colorado and Connecticut. In his ruling, Cronan said he would not grant the preliminary injunction in part because it may be that another court, the Court of Federal Claims, has jurisdiction over what is essentially a case about money. He also said the states failed to show that NSF's actions were counter to the agency's mandate. The lawsuit filed in May alleges that the National Science Foundation's new grant-funding priorities as well as a cap on what's known as indirect research expenses 'violate the law and jeopardize America's longstanding global leadership in STEM.' Another district court had already blocked the the cap on indirect costs — administrative expenses that allow research to get done like paying support staff and maintaining equipment. This injunction had been requested to restore funding to the grants that were cut. In April, the NSF announced a new set of priorities and began axing hundreds of grants for research focused on things like misinformation and diversity, equity and inclusion. Researchers who lost funding also were studying artificial intelligence, post-traumatic stress disorder in veterans, STEM education for K-12 students and more. Researchers were not given a specific explanation for why their grants were canceled, attorney Colleen Faherty, representing the state of New York, said during last month's hearing. Instead, they received boilerplate language stating that their work 'no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities.' NSF has long been directed by Congress to encourage underrepresented groups like women and people with disabilities to participate in STEM. According to the lawsuit, the science foundation's funding cuts already halted efforts to train the next generation of scientists in fields like computer science, math and environmental science. A lawyer for the NSF said at the hearing that the agency has the authority to fund whatever research it deems necessary — and has since its inception in 1950. In the court filing, the government also argued that its current priorities were to 'create opportunities for all Americans everywhere' and 'not preference some groups at the expense of others, or directly/indirectly exclude individuals or groups.' The plaintiff states are trying to 'substitute their own judgement for the judgement of the agency,' Adam Gitlin, an attorney for the NSF, said during the hearing. The science foundation is still funding some projects related to expanding representation in STEM, Cronan wrote in his ruling. Per the lawsuit filed in May, for example, the University of Northern Colorado lost funding for only one of its nine programs focused on increasing participation of underrepresented groups in STEM fields. The states are reviewing the decision, according to spokespeople from the New York and Hawaii attorney general offices. The National Science Foundation declined to comment. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Fox News
32 minutes ago
- Fox News
'WHAT THE HELL IS THAT': Bill Melugin Reacts to Activist Judge Ruling to Block Trump Immigration Order
Bill Melugin, an Los Angeles-based correspondent for FOX News Channel, joined The Guy Benson Show today to break down the latest on immigration enforcement, including how Democrats continue to undermine Trump's ICE policies. Melugin detailed the staggering lack of attention from the left on violent crimes committed by criminal illegal immigrants, as many US congressman on the left continue to fight for alleged criminals like Kilmar Abrego Garcia. Bill also addressed activist judges blocking the administration's efforts to end temporary protections, and he also highlighted the reckless and partisan push from Democrats to ban ICE agents from wearing masks. Listen to the full interview below! Listen to the full interview below: Listen to the full podcast below:
