Federal agents raid homes of Ventura County immigration activists - BERITAJA

Federal agents searched the homes of migrant authorities activists successful an early greeting ambush that activists allege was retaliatory and portion of an ongoing harassment run for their activity operating and monitoring migration operations successful Ventura County.

Four locations were searched about 3 a.m. Wednesday, including the location and business of unpaid Leo Martinez, who said national agents pointed guns astatine him and his mother during the search, but made nary arrests.

Agents took cellphones and laptops, arsenic good arsenic T-shirts and skateboard decks pinch the logo for VC Defensa, a volunteer-based group that has been documenting migration raids and detentions successful Ventura County.

“We person thing to hide,” Martinez said successful an interview. “If they had entree to each of our messaging going backmost to the beginning, there’s thing successful there.”

During a news convention Wednesday, members of VC Defensa and their attorney, Reem Yassin, said they were looking astatine the anticipation of ineligible action against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for alleged ongoing harassment targeting members for what they said were ineligible activities monitoring and documenting migration raids successful their community.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that hunt warrants were executed successful narration to VC Defensa but did not reply questions about the quality of the investigation.

“On May 13, [Homeland Security Investigations] executed respective hunt warrants connected individuals associated pinch an anti-ICE organization,” a Homeland Security spokesperson said successful an email. “Several members of this statement person been antecedently arrested for ambushing national rule enforcement and demolition of authorities property. Several items were seized arsenic portion of the hunt warrants.”

The spokesperson did not reside questions regarding whether the raids were done successful retaliation for the group’s monitoring of migration raids.

“This remains an ongoing investigation,” the email read. “To protect its integrity, we are incapable to supply further specifications astatine this time. Under President Trump, if you battle rule enforcement officers, you will beryllium prosecuted to the fullest grade of the law.”

VC Defensa has been known to grounds and show Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents successful Ventura County, arsenic good arsenic people images and videos of their operations, but Martinez said the group adheres to the law.

However, he said he and the group person been targeted by national agents for respective months. He and different members of the group person been arrested and detained, including 1 incident successful which national agents were recorded connected video appearing to ram his truck.

Federal agents claimed he was the aggressor successful that incident, but Martinez said neither he nor different members of the group person faced immoderate charges successful relationship pinch their work.

Martinez said he has been arrested doubly but faced nary charges.

“We don’t do thing different than alert the organization that ICE officers are there,” he said. “We person to adhere to the rule because we cognize if we transverse that line, moreover a fraction for a bit, we cognize they’ll crush us.”

Martinez said he was awakened about 3 a.m. Wednesday by about 35 national agents extracurricular his home. He said he was held astatine gunpoint for about 2 hours pinch his mother earlier being released.

Then erstwhile he went to his shop, wherever members of VC Defensa often meet, he said he recovered the doorway had been surgery down and the location searched.

During a news convention Thursday, members of the group said the early greeting cognition was portion of an ongoing run of harassment, including members being followed location and prank calls connected their hotline.

“We will not guidelines by and fto them proceed to effort to intimidate us,” Lainy Yompian said during the conference.

Yassin said national agents refused to let her entree to members of the group during the searches — “Not only denied, but threatened pinch arrest” — and told her to beryllium she was their lawyer moreover though she and the group members told them so.

Martinez said the group was looking astatine its ineligible options but VC Defensa would proceed its activity contempt the national investigation.

“We support moving forward,” he said. “We person a ton of operating still going on.”