WASHINGTON, DC- DECEMBER 19 Metropolitan Police Departments narcotics unit and federal authorities seized approximately 80 pounds of methamphetamine, 9.6. kilograms of cocaine, 1.25 gallons of PCP. 23.5 pounds of marijuana, heroin and MDMA/ecstasy. The drugs were purchased and seized by the detectives in the investigation and were on display for a press conference at the Metropolitan Police Headquarters in Washington, D.C. on December 19, 2011. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Cathy L.Lanier and members from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced today the arrests of 70 suspects for the possession and distribution of firearms and narcotics with a street value of more than $7.1 million. (Photo by Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Thermal, California – A massive federal operation targeting illegal marijuana grow sites unfolded Thursday in the rural community of Thermal, Riverside County, leading to alarm and mass confusion across the East Coachella Valley. Led by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the large-scale raid involved 500 personnel from multiple federal agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the National Guard.
The operation, which occurred near Highway 86, focused on marijuana farms spanning approximately 787 acres on land reportedly belonging to the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians. Federal officials emphasized the mission was part of a broad drug enforcement effort and not related to immigration enforcement, despite the heavy presence of military-style vehicles and armed agents that caused panic among local farmworkers and residents.
According to the DEA, the raid was conducted under federal search warrants authorized by a magistrate judge, with the task force called in to address the operation’s extensive size and challenging terrain. Investigators discovered multiple illegal marijuana cultivation sites and detained between 70 and 75 undocumented immigrants. At least one U.S. citizen was arrested on charges related to impeding law enforcement. Several others are being questioned regarding their involvement in the illegal grow operations.
The heavy law enforcement presence, including military police vehicles and unmarked federal units, led many workers in the region to hide amid extreme triple-digit heat, fearful of potential immigration raids. Witnesses reported that some farmworkers sought refuge with neighbors and strangers to avoid detection, while families voiced fears of separation caused by the overwhelming number of officers. Congressman Raul Ruiz addressed the community’s anxiety, noting that the militarized nature of the operation compounded fears of ICE involvement and trauma among immigrants.
Local advocacy groups, including Inland Congregations United For Change (ICUC), responded swiftly by delivering water and supplies to workers sheltering in fields and condemned the climate of fear generated by the raid. ICUC pledged ongoing support to families affected by the operation, while the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians organization (TODEC) established a helpline for those detained or impacted.
Though federal agencies have not fully disclosed the extent of the investigation or all participating organizations, the raid underscores ongoing challenges in combating illicit drug cultivation while balancing community trust in a region heavily reliant on agricultural labor. As law enforcement agencies work to dismantle illegal operations, concerns remain about the social and human costs to vulnerable populations living in the shadows of such large-scale actions.
