Federal immigration raids at two major California marijuana facilities have exposed a shocking child labor violation, with authorities discovering 10 undocumented minors working in the fields, including eight unaccompanied children.

The raids, conducted Thursday at Glass House Farms locations in Camarillo and Carpinteria, have ignited a political firestorm as Governor Gavin Newsom rushed to defend the cannabis operation while attacking federal law enforcement for their efforts to address the child labor violations.

The discovery of minors working at what bills itself as the “largest cannabis cultivator in the world” has raised serious questions about California’s regulatory oversight and Newsom’s priorities in his ongoing crusade against ICE enforcement.

The simultaneous operations at both facilities involved hundreds of federal agents, National Guard troops, and military equipment, creating scenes reminiscent of major law enforcement operations typically reserved for the most serious criminal enterprises.

The coordinated ICE operation, assisted by National Guard troops, targeted Glass House Farms after reports of the company harboring hundreds of undocumented workers across its facilities.

Federal agents executed search warrants simultaneously at the Camarillo greenhouse facility and the Carpinteria location, both state-licensed cannabis operations that remain federally illegal under the Controlled Substances Act.

The presence of children at a marijuana cultivation facility represents a clear violation of federal child labor laws, as minors are prohibited from working in environments involving controlled substances.

The fact that eight of the ten discovered children were unaccompanied raises serious questions about how these minors came to be working at the facility and what oversight mechanisms failed to prevent their employment.

Military helicopters were observed flying low over the fields during the operation, a tactical maneuver typically used to maintain surveillance and provide support for ground operations.

The scale of the federal response indicates the significance authorities placed on this investigation, with sources suggesting the operation had been planned for weeks following intelligence reports about the extensive use of undocumented workers at the facilities.

The raids quickly descended into chaos as hundreds of protesters gathered to obstruct federal law enforcement, leading to violent clashes that required agents to deploy tear gas and smoke grenades to maintain order.

Video footage captured protesters confronting federal agents, with at least one individual firing what appeared to be a weapon toward ICE officers, prompting the FBI to offer a $50,000 reward for information leading to the shooter’s arrest.

The violent resistance to a child labor investigation exposed the extremist nature of California’s anti-ICE movement, where protecting illegal operations takes precedence over addressing violations of child labor laws. Three people were hospitalized during the confrontations, highlighting the dangerous escalation of resistance to federal law enforcement in sanctuary jurisdictions.

United States Attorney Bill Essayli confirmed the operation in a post to social media, stating that “Federal agents are executing a search warrant at this marijuana farm” and warning that “Agents have already arrested multiple individuals for impeding this operation and will continue to make arrests.”

The Ventura County Fire Department reported treating additional individuals at the scene without transportation, suggesting the confrontations were more extensive than initially reported. Border Patrol agents established barricades on Laguna Road, effectively cutting off access to the Glass House facility as protesters continued to arrive throughout the day and into the evening hours.

Governor Gavin Newsom’s response to the discovery of child laborers revealed his misplaced priorities and commitment to an anti-ICE agenda that apparently extends to defending operations employing minors in violation of federal law. Rather than condemning the use of children in marijuana cultivation, Newsom attacked federal agents on social media, posting a video showing people fleeing tear gas with the caption: “Kids running from tear gas, crying on the phone because their mother was just taken from the fields. Trump calls me ‘Newscum’ — but he’s the real scum.”