US EditionHundreds of DEA agents, police, National Guard raid illegal CA pot farms
THERMAL, CALIFORNIA, JUN 19 – The raid involved roughly 500 personnel and resulted in arrests of 70 to 75 undocumented migrants and one U.S. citizen at three illegal marijuana farms spanning nearly 800 acres.
- On Wednesday, June 17, 2025, the DEA led a large-scale raid involving roughly 500 federal agents across nearly 800 acres of illegal marijuana grows near Thermal in California's Coachella Valley.
- The operation stemmed from an ongoing probe into illegal marijuana cultivation and was conducted under search warrants authorized by a magistrate judge, with assistance from agencies such as the National Guard and the FBI.
- During coordinated raids across Thermal, Mecca, and Coachella, authorities detained around 70 to 75 migrants without legal status and arrested a U.S. citizen on charges related to obstructing law enforcement, with some individuals found hiding amid extreme 115-degree heat.
- Mayor Steven Hernandez condemned the federal government's failure to communicate, describing how people sought refuge in the scorching 115-degree heat during the operation, while the DEA maintained that the action was not aimed at immigration enforcement.
- The investigation is ongoing, with charges filed for unlawful marijuana manufacturing and several code violations noted, potentially leading to civil forfeiture amid community concerns and protests over the operation's scope.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Coachella Mayor reacts to multi-agency raid on marijuana farms in eastern Coachella Valley
THERMAL, Calif. (KESQ) The Drug Enforcement Administration says Wednesday’s large-scale operation was aimed at illegal marijuana grows near Thermal, involving roughly 500 federal agents and covering more than 700 acres across the eastern Coachella Valley. Authorities say they arrested 70 to 75 undocumented migrants and one U.S. citizen for obstructing law enforcement, and said the
Press-Telegram
About 75 migrants arrested in Thermal as feds sweep illegal cannabis operation
An investigation continued Thursday into the arrests of about 75 undocumented migrants in connection to an alleged large-scale illegal marijuana operation in Thermal. The Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Division said it led a multi-agency effort to seize more than 700 acres of marijuana on Wednesday. The Drug Enforcement Agency released these images of its operation that led to the arrest of 75 undocumented immigrants Wednesday, June…
Hundreds of DEA agents, police, National Guard raid illegal CA pot farms
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, Calif. (NewsNation) — NewsNation cameras were the only ones on the ground as a massive surge of law enforcement gathered in Southern California to dismantle three massive illegal marijuana grow operations on federal land, with one of them stretching more than 250 acres. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says the grow operations are located on federal land and not controlled, as they’re operating outside of the law despit…
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