LOS ANGELES — The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward in the search for someone who appeared to fire a pistol at federal immigration agents during protests Thursday near Los Angeles, the U.S. attorney for the region said.
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor for the Central District of California based in Los Angeles, announced the reward Thursday night, hours after what appeared to be tear gas was used against protesters near Camarillo in Ventura County.
He shared on X helicopter news footage from ABC affiliate KABC of Los Angeles that showed a man in a black T-shirt point what appeared to be a handgun during the protest and tear gassing. He and U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the incident happened around 2:26 p.m.
There were no reports of anyone being struck by gunfire during the incident.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott said Thursday night that the farm was a marijuana grow, and that 10 juveniles who are in the country without authorization were found there.
“It’s now under investigation for child labor violations,” Scott said.
Glass House Brands, a cannabis company, said that officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement visited its farm Thursday.
“The company fully complied with agent search warrants and will provide further updates if necessary,” the company said. Cannabis is legal in California under state law approved by voters.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, on social media shared video showing tear gas being used and children running. Newsom said in reply to another comment on X that he condemns any assault on law enforcement.
Recent federal immigration operations in the Los Angeles area have infuriated some local officials, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat, who said they are motivated by a political agenda “of provoking fear and terror.”
U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley, a Democrat whose district includes Camarillo, said Thursday that there has been a lack of transparency from ICE and the federal government and that she will demand answers.
“These militarized raids are not routine immigration enforcement. They are part of a deliberate, disruptive, and ongoing campaign of cruelty that is an unacceptable assault on our way of life,” she said in a statement. “ICE should be focused on individuals who pose real threats to public safety, not carrying out broad sweeps that destabilize entire communities.”
The U.S. attorney, Essayli, was appointed by President Donald Trump and was sworn in on April 2.
He has said that Los Angeles’ “sanctuary city” policies are “deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration law.” The Department of Justice on June 30 filed a lawsuit against the city over those policies.
Camarillo is a city of around 70,000 in Ventura County, around 50 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. The region is known for its agriculture.
