An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation drew a large crowd of residents in an Oxnard neighborhood on Wednesday morning. Federal agents in several SUVs and an armored vehicle were seen near an apartment building on N. A Street and Palm as early as 6:00 a.m., according to reports. Videos posted to social media show groups of people gathered behind yellow tape across both sides of the street. Agents were captured on video deploying a chemical agent into the crowd. At least one person was seen on video footage being detained and placed in a vehicle. The operation was connected to search warrants issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that were announced later Wednesday morning. Bilal “Bill” Essayli, Acting United States Attorney Central District of California, issued a press release stating 10 people were federally charged in three criminal complaints accused of engaging in violence and civil disorder against law enforcement officers and property during immigration enforcement actions in Southern California earlier this year. “There is zero tolerance for violence against law enforcement officers,” said Essayli. “During the summer we warned the public that anyone who engages in any violence will eventually be brought to justice. Today we are delivering on that promise and will continue to hold those who violated the law accountable.” Two Oxnard residents were included in the criminal complaints prompting the search warrants executed early Wednesday morning. Virginia Reyes, 32, and Isai Carrillo, 31, both of Oxnard, were charged with conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer, a felony that is punishable by up to five years in federal prison. Carrillo, was arrested Wednesday and is expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Reyes was not arrested and is considered a fugitive by the Department of Justice (DOJ). According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, agents with DHS on July 10 executed several search warrants – predicated on violations of federal immigration laws – at locations, including the Glass House Farms in Camarillo. The DOJ press release states that Reyes was present for a roadblock construction to impede government vehicles and Carrillo allegedly threw rocks at government vehicles that caused damage and allegedly injured a federal contract employee. DOJ claims some of the protestors were members of “VC Defensa,” stating they are a volunteer group whose members “follow, chase, agitate, and impede federal agents enforcing immigration laws.” VC Defensa rigorously denies this characterization of their nonprofit that is a coalition of local organizations dedicated to protecting the immigrant and refugee population of Ventura County. “We will not be silenced! The Federal Government’s statement about VC Defensa is completely false. This is part of a witch hunt against anyone who uses their First Amendment rights to organize and speak out against ICE’s campaign of terror on immigrant communities,” VC Defensa stated on social media. The ICE raid of Glass House Farms in Camarillo resulted in the death of an innocent farm worker, Jaime Alanis Garcia, and the unlawful arrest and three-day detention of a U.S. citizen and military veteran, George Retes, who was not charged with a crime. DHS issued a press release claiming Retes was “violent” while video evidence refutes this claim. According to a DHS press release issued days after the raid, the department also claimed at least 361 individuals and 14 children were detained during the operation. DHS released an initial tally of 200 individuals and 10 children one day after the event, but did not explain the discrepancy in numbers, and claimed their raid uncovered illegal child labor. Glass House Farms refuted these claims and DHS has yet to provide any evidence or follow-up regarding the minors. The immigration enforcement operations that ramped up in Southern California this summer are part of the Trump Administration’s mass deportation plan. From January 22 through September 25, more than 59,207 people have been taken into ICE detention, according NBC News. Of those numbers, 28.7% had criminal convictions, 25.4% with pending criminal charges, 46.9% listed as “other immigration violator”, and 10.7% fast-tracked for deportation. While the government does not track ICE arrests of U.S. citizens, specific incidents have been documented, with a ProPublica report identifying over 170 cases during the first nine months of 2025 where U.S. citizens were illegally detained for suspected immigration offenses. Also Read