Ventura County farm raid leaves families waiting, workers still in hiding
Some workers who initially evaded arrest have slowly begun to reemerge. One of them, Jesús Martínez, had been hiding inside the facility for nearly 24 hours. He reunited with his family early Friday, including his niece Jennifer Martinez, who had waited overnight for word.
'It feels good. We've been waiting for him all night. It's inhumane what they're doing,' Jennifer said. 'He's not coming back here. That's for sure. He's not coming back.'
She said more workers are still in hiding, afraid to come out and risk being detained. Abandoned vehicles were also seen in the area Friday, presumably belonging to those who were detained or are still in hiding.
KTLA obtained cellphone video from a worker who tried to hide on the roof of the facility but was ultimately detained. His girlfriend, Karen Martinez, said he sent her the videos during the raid.
'He was sending me videos trying to escape from them,' she said. 'I was scared that he was going to go to those facilities. I was wondering if he would be able to eat there, if he would be treated well or not… All these people are hardworking people, and they have families.'
Immigration activist Alex Lara, who spent the night outside the farm assisting families, told KTLA that one man who was hiding fell from a building and was taken to a hospital with severe injuries. Lara said the man's family later made the decision to take him off life support. KTLA is working to independently confirm the details.
As of Friday, authorities had not released an official count of how many individuals were arrested during the raid or protest. On Thursday, KTLA's Sky5 captured at least 30 detainees in custody with their hands cuffed and brown paper bags at their feet, with more seen waiting to be transported.
Officials also confirmed the arrest of 10 undocumented minors — including eight unaccompanied children — as part of the operation. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner posted on X Friday morning with a photo of 10 minors, saying, 'These are the juveniles found in the marijuana facility – almost all unaccompanied, one as young as 14. California, are you ready to partner with us to stop child exploitation?'
Clashes between demonstrators and federal agents escalated throughout Thursday, with protesters reportedly throwing rocks and bottles as agents deployed tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.
On Friday morning, the FBI announced a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a man caught on video allegedly firing a pistol at federal officers during the protest. They said once located, the suspect will be prosecuted.
Glass House Farms is now under investigation for alleged child labor violations, according to the Department of Homeland Security. The company issued a statement saying it is fully cooperating with ICE, but declined to comment further. It remains unclear whether the facility is operating.
L.A. Mayor Bass signs executive directive to help immigrants, calls raids 'display of force'
The Camarillo raid coincided with a second federal operation at another Glass House location in Carpinteria, about 50 miles northwest. U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Santa Barbara), whose district includes Carpinteria, attempted to access that site but was turned away by agents. He later criticized what he described as a 'troubling lack of transparency' from federal authorities.
'These militarized ICE raids are not how you keep our communities safe,' Carbajal said. 'This kind of chaos only traumatizes families and tears communities apart.'
On Friday afternoon, DHS announced about 200 workers had been detained.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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