ICE agents deploy teargas to stop protesters during raids at California cannabis farms

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents clashed Thursday with protesters as they attempted to detain illegal immigrants working at two California cannabis farms.

The agents conducted two separate raids at Glass House Farms locations in Camarillo and Carpinteria, with the former resulting in a clash with protesters in which agents used tear gas to disperse the crowd, KTLA reported.

Glass House posted on X that it was "visited today by ICE Officials. The company fully complied with agent search warrants and will provide further updates if necessary."

Video footage of the Camarillo raid and protest shows a protester appearing to fire a gun at federal agents, ABC7 News reported. There are no reported injuries, and the FBI has launched an investigation into the alleged shooting, offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to a conviction.

Dozens of farm workers were detained at the Camarillo farm, where hundreds of protesters gathered over the raid, the Los Angeles Times reported.

"Federal agents are executing a search warrant at this marijuana farm," U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli posted on X. "Agents have already arrested multiple individuals for impeding this operation and will continue to make arrests. Don’t interfere. You will be arrested and charged with a federal offense."

During the Carpinteria raid, a smaller crowd of protesters gathered, but dispersed as federal agents were wrapping up.

Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., attempted to enter the marijuana farm after hearing reports of an immigration operation and identified himself as a Congress member conducting oversight, but federal agents would not let him through and told him to contact ICE. 

“It was disproportionate, overkill,” Carbajal said. “These tactics are creating an incendiary, hostile environment the way they are being deployed, which could lead to, regrettably, violence in the future.”

Marc Cohodes, an investor in Glass House, called the raid “beyond outrageous.” He noted that Glass House is “the largest cannabis cultivator in the world” and “a highly regulated business fully licensed by the state of California.”

“It’s run by a guy named Kyle Kazan, who is an ex-cop who plays by the rules and does things by the book,” Cohodes said, adding that Kazan is a Trump supporter.