Immigration agents shot at during California raid, FBI says

The FBI on Friday offered a reward of $50,000 for information leading to the conviction of a man who appeared to fire a pistol at federal immigration agents on Thursday. The incident occurred during a confrontation with protesters while agents executed a search warrant at a marijuana farm outside Camarillo, Calif. The FBI did not say whether any agents were hurt by the shooting.

Local media’s photos of the confrontation showed agents facing off with a crowd of protesters who blocked the road. The road was full of smoke. KTLA News reported that agents used tear gas. Agents arrested several of the protesters for impeding their operations and charged them with federal crimes, according to U.S. Attorney for Central California Bill Essayli. About 200 protesters clashed with agents from before noon until evening Thursday, according to KTLA.

U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal said agents blocked him from entering the area of a simultaneous immigration raid at another marijuana farm owned by the same company in Carpinteria, Calif. In a Thursday video, he said agents and protesters also clashed at that site. Agents used smoke and flash devices, one of which injured a child in the crowd, Carbajal claimed.

In a heated exchange on social media, California Gov. Gavin Newsom sought to blame the Trump administration for the conflict. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott responded by implying it was Newsom who was to blame.

What was the result of the raid? Federal agents found 10 minors who were illegal immigrants at the Camarillo facility of Glass House Farms. Eight of them were unaccompanied, according to Scott. The farm was under investigation for child labor violations, he said on Thursday.

Carbajal said agents arrested about 10 workers at the Carpinteria facility. It was unclear how many were detained at the Camarillo farm.

Dig deeper: Read Christina Grube’s story on how a federal judge blocked President Trump’s birthright citizenship order.