A federal agent at the U.S Immigration Court as agents detain people after their immigration court hearings on May 21, 2025, in Phoenix.
Ventura County, California – Federal officials are offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a man suspected of firing a gun at immigration agents during a chaotic protest Thursday in Camarillo, a small agricultural city northwest of Los Angeles. The incident marks a dramatic escalation in tensions surrounding a series of controversial federal immigration raids across Southern California.
The U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, Bill Essayli, announced the reward Thursday night, hours after federal officers clashed with demonstrators at Glass House Farms, a cannabis grow operation in Ventura County. Tear gas and less-than-lethal rounds were deployed into the crowd after protesters blocked both lanes of Laguna Road near the farm, which had been targeted for an immigration enforcement action.
The man in question was captured on aerial news footage from KABC, apparently pointing a handgun toward federal officers at 2:26 p.m., moments after tear gas filled the area. No injuries were reported, but the FBI now considers the act an attempted assault on federal law enforcement.
The raid uncovered 10 unaccompanied minors working on the farm without legal status. U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott said the operation has now expanded into a child labor investigation. Cannabis is legal under California law, but federal immigration authorities retain jurisdiction over labor enforcement.
Glass House Brands, the company operating the farm, confirmed that it cooperated with search warrants and is continuing to monitor the situation. “The company fully complied with agent search warrants and will provide further updates if necessary,” a statement read.
The events in Camarillo have drawn swift condemnation from California leaders. Governor Gavin Newsom posted footage on social media showing children running through clouds of tear gas and called for an investigation. While reaffirming his opposition to violence against law enforcement, Newsom criticized what he described as excessive and politically motivated raids.
Similar frustration was voiced by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who characterized the raids as a campaign to instill “fear and terror” rather than genuine public safety operations. Representative Julia Brownley, whose district includes Camarillo, called the actions “militarized,” “deliberate,” and “destabilizing.”
“These are not routine immigration enforcement operations,” she said. “ICE should be focused on individuals who pose real threats to public safety, not carrying out broad sweeps that destabilize entire communities.”
The incident comes amid heightened tensions between the federal government and California over immigration policy. Essayli, a Trump-appointed U.S. attorney sworn in this April, has called Los Angeles’ sanctuary policies a “deliberate obstruction” of federal law. On June 30, the Justice Department filed suit against the city over those protections.
The man suspected of firing on federal agents remains at large. The FBI continues to urge the public to provide information that could lead to his arrest.
