Federal Agents Conduct Raid on California Home
The raid has sparked controversy and raised questions about the use of force by federal agents, with many calling for greater accountability and restraint in such operations. The incident is being reviewed, and the mayor has called for a full investigation into the matter.
Federal agents blasted their way into a Huntington Park home on Friday, startling a woman and her two young children, ages 6 and 1, who were inside, in a raid that has been denounced by the mayor as "violent" and "traumatizing" for the family.
The operation, which targeted Jorge Sierra-Hernandez, a man who lives at the home, unfolded early in the morning in the 3500 block of Flower Street. About a dozen federal agents in tactical gear took up positions in the front yard, secured the door and window, and then detonated an explosive device, blowing the door off and shattering a window. The agents were searching for Sierra-Hernandez, who was wanted in connection with a traffic incident during an immigration protest last week.
The family, including Sierra-Hernandez's girlfriend, Jenny Ramirez, and their children, were not injured, but were left shaken by the aggressive tactics used by the agents. Everyone who lives at the home is a U.S. citizen, Ramirez said. The operation was reportedly related to a collision a week ago in the city of Industry, in which Sierra-Hernandez was behind the wheel of a Jeep that ran into the back of a truck carrying federal agents.
Sierra-Hernandez was not at the residence when Border Patrol agents arrived, but later called Ramirez and told her he needed to turn himself in to authorities. He eventually turned himself in and is now out on bail. The incident comes amid a wave of federal raids in Los Angeles and southern California, targeting immigrants and sparking controversy.
The mayor of Huntington Park has denounced the tactics used by the agents, calling them "violent" and "traumatizing" for the family. The use of explosives and aggressive tactics has raised concerns about the methods used by federal agents in conducting raids, particularly when families and young children are involved.