Child predator among more than 300 nabbed in cannabis farm ICE raid, largest of Trump's second term
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed on X that 319 unlawful immigrants were apprehended during the raid at Glass House Farms, and said that "law enforcement rescued 14 children from potential forced labor, exploitation, and trafficking."
The raid is believed to be the second-largest single-state ICE worksite operation in history, behind the first Trump administration's 2019 Mississippi chicken plant raids that netted almost 700 illegal alien arrests.
One man taken into custody has a history of violent crime, including attempted child exploitation.
CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott posted a photo of the unnamed migrant on X.
"This illegal alien was apprehended at the CA marijuana facility," he said.
"Turns out he had been sentenced to 7 yrs for kidnapping & attempted rape, w/ a prior conviction for attempted child molestation.
And this felon was working at the same farm as 10 kids - one being 14 yrs old."
Fox News has learned that the children rescued at the farm are from Mexico and Honduras, and that immigration authorities are analyzing the criminal histories of all 319 of the detained illegal aliens.
Glass House Farms is under investigation for possible child labor law violations.
The company's co-founder, president and board director, Graham Farrar, donated $10,000 to California Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2018, among other Democratic politicians. He has also donated to Republicans, and shown support for Republicans who expressed support for liberalizing cannabis laws.
A violent clash erupted between ICE agents and protesters during the massive raid. Federal law enforcement agents were assaulted during the operation, and one combatant appeared to fire a handgun towards agents as the crowd was dispersed with tear gas.
One worker died during the raid after climbing a 30-foot greenhouse and subsequently falling from it.
An irate Trump took to his Truth Social platform to blast the protesters, and authorize ICE to take whatever precautions are necessary to protect themselves during future raids.
"I am on my way back from Texas, and watched in disbelief as THUGS were violently throwing rocks and bricks at ICE Officers while they were moving down a roadway in their car and/or official vehicle," he said.
"Tremendous damage was done to these brand new vehicles. I know for a fact that these Officers are having a hard time with allowing this to happen in that it shows such total disrespect for LAW AND ORDER.
"I am giving Total Authorization for ICE to protect itself, just like they protect the Public," he wrote. "I never want to see a car carrying a Law Enforcement Officer attacked again! AUTHORIZATION IMMEDIATELY GRANTED FOR ARREST AND INCARCERATION. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
California's marijuana industry was already in crisis. Then the ICE raids started
Recent immigration raids on Southern California cannabis facilities have shaken California's already beleaguered marijuana industry as leaders worry about a renewed federal assault on farms and dispensaries that could scare workers into staying home and further cripple the state's multibillion-dollar industry. Cannabis industry leaders and advocates have been huddling about how to react to a federal immigration raid this month on grow sites in Camarillo and Carpinteria that led to the arrests of 361 allegedly undocumented immigrants. The sites are owned by Glass House Farms one of California's largest growers. The raid became a chaotic, violent mess in which at least one person lost their life and U.S. citizens were detained, including a CSU professor. One worker, Jaime Alanís Garcia, died after he fled federal agents, climbed on top of a greenhouse then fell 30 feet. Federal officials say they arrested 'at least 14 migrant children.' The California Department of Cannabis Control said it conducted a site visit to the Glass House Farms facility in May 'and observed no minors on the premises.' After receiving a subsequent complaint, the department opened an investigation into the facility that is ongoing. Those raids may shock the generation of California cannabis industry workers who have grown up without fearing regular para-military style raids that the Drug Enforcement Agency conducted for years in the state until 2014, when federal lawmakers banned the agency from interfering with state-licensed medicinal cannabis operations. But some advocates worry that ethos may be changing. The Republicans who control Congress are not cannabis-friendly. On Wednesday, a House committee passed legislation that will halt the Department of Justice from spending money to reclassify cannabis from a Schedule 1 drug on par with heroin, a move initiated by the Biden administration. A House committee also recently approved provisions that would increase the federal penalties for distributing cannabis within 1,000 feet of an elementary school, college, playground, vocational school or public housing unit. These tougher penalties could 'open the door for federal interference in state medical cannabis programs again,' according to Americans for Safe Access, a cannabis advocacy organization. Industry leaders in California, which has long been a national leader in cannabis consumption and production, are on a high alert after the recent raids, unsure if the industry is being targeted or if the feds are more focused on finding undocumented immigrants. 'We are being vigilant to see if this is a one-and-done situation, or whether we can expect more, and need to brace ourselves for that action,' said Caren Woodson, president of the board of directors of the California Cannabis Industry Association. Given the recent cannabis-unfriendly moves in Washington, Woodson said, 'it definitely suggests that if you are in the cannabis space, you should be vigilant and on watch for what happens next.' Woodson's organization is working with advocates and cannabis businesses to train employees about what to do if federal agents raid a facility, even if it is state-licensed. Meanwhile, public support for Trump's immigration policies is dropping. A new PBS/Marist poll found that only 43% of respondents approved of Trump's handling of immigration, one of several polls that show support dropping for a key piece of Trump's agenda in the wake of a series of high-profile raids on agriculture and other workers. Woodson worries that, given the $165 billion increase in the Department of Homeland Security's budget, with much of that targeted toward immigration enforcement and security, that the administration might increase its focus on California's cannabis industry, whose workers may not be as sympathetic as those who provide Americans with grocery staples. 'As raids on traditional (agriculture) become more unpopular, something like this could be seen as a culture war wedge, and that is concerning,' Woodson said. And then there is the potential financial impact. For one, the raids could scare members of their workforce to stay home. On Tuesday, the United Farm Workers urged workers 'who are not U.S. citizens to avoid working in the cannabis industry, even at state licensed operations.' For some in California's decades-old cannabis industry, which long predates voter-approved statewide legalization in 2016, Woodson said the raids were a 'triggering' reminder of the hundreds of federal raids conducted in the state for years. A generation of California cannabis industry workers has grown up working with little fear of federal law enforcement agents kicking in the doors, guns drawn. 'People have gotten very comfortable with the idea that cannabis is legal, even though it is still federally illegal,' said Steph Sherer, president of Americans for Safe Access. 'I'm a little worried what that might look like under this administration.' This rising concern of renewed federal interference is yet another headache for California's beleaguered industry. That's because cannabis consumers — and retailers — just felt the state cannabis excise tax jump from 15% to 19% on July 1. (Although state legislators are considering a measure that would reverse the increase.) The tax bump couldn't come at a worse time: An estimated 15% of state retailers are behind on their taxes, and legal California weed is already the most expensive in the country. The high tax rate is a big reason an estimated 60% of the cannabis consumed in the state is illegal. The annual state of the industry report by the California Department of Cannabis Control found '1.4 million pounds of licensed cannabis are produced and consumed in California. California consumption is around 3.8 million pounds, meaning that 2.4 million pounds are supplied from unlicensed cannabis operations and consumed in California.' And now, the raids pose another existential threat.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
PCAOB chair Erica Williams to step down
The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board's (PCAOB) chair Erica Williams has decided to step down from her position. Williams was sworn in as chair in January 2022 and reappointed in October 2024. Williams said: 'With high economic uncertainty increasing the risk of fraud, the PCAOB's mission is as important as ever. It's critical that the expert PCAOB staff continue to be empowered to carry out their work of ensuring American investors are protected.' During her tenure, Williams executed a strategic plan focused on the modernisation of auditing standards, the enhancement of inspection processes, enforcement mechanisms, and the board's operational effectiveness, the PCAOB said in its press statement. Under her leadership, the PCAOB has completed access for the first time to inspect and investigate China-headquartered businesses, resulting in enforcement actions against these entities. Williams' term has been marked by various formal actions, with seven projects covering 24 rules and standards finalised during her tenure. The authority delivered sanctions, with the message that violations that put investors at risk will be met with serious consequences. Williams also oversaw the reconstitution of the Investor Advisory Group and the Standards and Emerging Issues Advisory Group. She also established the PCAOB's first-ever Office of the Investor Advocate. However, Williams' resignation comes amidst media reports suggesting that her departure was requested by Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Paul Atkins. An email sent by Williams to PCAOB staff indicated that she had been asked to resign with Atkins accepting her resignation. The email stated: 'Today, I accepted Erica Williams' offer to resign as chair and a board member of the PCAOB and thanked her for her service. I am grateful she has agreed to stay on until July 22.' Last month, the PCAOB imposed fines totalling $8.5m on the Netherlands member businesses of Deloitte, PwC, and EY for cheating in internal exams. "PCAOB chair Erica Williams to step down " was originally created and published by The Accountant, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
Medscape
2 hours ago
- Medscape
What Does the New US Budget Law Mean for Physicians?
Physicians are still assessing the impact of the budget and policy package passed by Congressional Republicans and recently signed into law by President Donald Trump. The legislation makes the largest cuts to Medicaid in its history, eliminating about $1 trillion over 10 years and establishing a work requirement that could force many recipients off the program over bureaucratic hurdles. Nearly 12 million Americans are expected to lose health coverage over 10 years as a result, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Millions more will be affected by the law's ending of certain health insurance subsidies created under the Affordable Care Act. Here's what physicians should know: Medicare Pay Bump In the near term, physicians will see a 1-year 2026 temporary increase of 2.5% in a rate used in determining Medicare's payments to clinicians. Despite that bit of good news, the budget package will make it more challenging to practice medicine, Bobby Mukkamala, MD, president of the American Medical Association (AMA), told Medscape Medical News in an interview. Clinicians, hospitals, and medical groups are likely to have to provide more uncompensated care to the uninsured. 'When it comes to healthcare in this country and the training for healthcare in this country, I don't see anything to be happy about,' Mukkamala said. Medicaid patients made up about 17% of the average physician's caseload in 2016, according to the AMA's Physician Practice Benchmark Survey. But pediatricians, with the largest average Medicaid patient share of any specialty at nearly 35%, could see a bigger reimbursement hit, depending on whether they are on salary or not. Psychiatrists and emergency medicine physicians also have above average Medicaid patient shares (26% and 22%, respectively). Internists reported the lowest Medicaid patient share at just under 12%. New Med Student Loan Limits The new law also limits federal loans for professional programs including medical and dental school to $50,000 a year with a total cap of $200,000. The average medical school debt tops $234,000, according to an Education Data Initiative report, but tuition and living expenses for private schools can top $87,000 per year. The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) said in a statement that the budget package's elimination of the Grad PLUS loan program 'will affect many prospective medical and other health profession's students and worsen the nation's persistent doctor shortage.' AAMC leaders said they were 'dismayed' by 'massive cuts to Medicaid and changes to state health insurance marketplace exchanges that will lead to tens of millions of people losing much-needed healthcare coverage.' Anders Gilberg, senior vice president for government affairs for the Medical Group Management Association, said the newly cleared bill 'paints a grim future for America's physician practices by stripping healthcare coverage from millions of Americans.' People who lose healthcare coverage 'will still find care in our US healthcare system,' Gilberg said, but 'medical groups and hospitals will be left picking up the enormous tab.' 'With these historic Medicaid cuts, dedicated physicians and medical practices committed to providing care in our country's most underserved areas will face growing financial burdens as they are forced to offer more and more uncompensated care,' he said. A Boost for Direct Primary Care The budget package also for the first time allows patients to use their Health Savings Accounts to pay for monthly fees charged by direct primary care providers, which may include office visits but not major procedures, lab tests, or prescription drugs. Monthly fees of up to $150 ($300 per couple) will be allowed and will be tied to inflation going forward. The provision is seen as a win for the growing direct primary care movement. Uninsured Concerns It's not yet clear how many adults will eventually lose health coverage due to the implementation of the new law. The Congressional Budget Office had estimated that 11.8 million fewer people would have had health insurance in 2034 if an earlier Senate version of the bill were adopted. Belinda R. Avalos, MD, president of the American Society of Hematology said in a statement that nearly half of people living with sickle cell disease are covered under Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program. 'It is profoundly disappointing that the Senate and House have voted to adopt the devastating cuts to Medicaid outlined in this bill,' Avalos said. 'These cuts recklessly endanger the health of millions of Americans, including those living with complex, life-threatening blood disorders.' In a statement, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) said it also was 'disappointed that Congress has advanced legislation that could impact patients' access to Medicaid and limit providers' ability to care for vulnerable patients.' 'We encourage leaders in Washington to support measures that expand access to care and coverage for patients, rather than displacing the estimated 11.8 million Americans whose insurance could be at risk,' ACR said.
