Leo Martinez, who leads the anti-ICE activist crowd in Ventura County, California, got a rude wake-up call around 3 AM Wednesday morning when federal agents stormed his home to execute a search warrant.
Feds descend on California home of prominent anti-ICE agitator in dramatic early morning raid Leo Martinez, a lead organizer for the ICE watch group VC Defensa, was in handcuffs and wearing a black hoodie and pants as law enforcement executed search warr… pic.twitter.com/O7Jzn6XhD5
— UnfilteredAmerica (@NahBabyNahNah) May 13, 2026
Special Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) were seen “examining a truck and a black van, and gathering evidence from inside Martinez’s home,” the California Post reports.
In a statement to the Post, HSI declined to give further information:
“To protect the integrity of the investigation, we are unable to provide additional details at this time. We will share further information when it becomes appropriate.”
Martinez, who heads VC Defensa, has had numerous run-ins with federal law enforcement in the last year. In July, 2025, VC Defensa was the main group behind violence in Camarillo, California, during the immigration raid at Glass House Farms, a cannabis farm that employed hundreds of illegal aliens, including 14 children.
As RedState documented, VC Defensa and the rapid response network it runs called for supporters to descend upon the area, even sending out lists of supplies needed.
Yeah this ain’t ending soon pic.twitter.com/TvClYJiBzg
— Jennifer Van Laar (@jenvanlaar) July 11, 2025
Anarchists out there proudly posting video telling ICE agents “f**k you” over and over pic.twitter.com/WixOljneYx
— Jennifer Van Laar (@jenvanlaar) July 11, 2025
One of those who heeded that call was Cal State Channel Islands professor Jonathan Caravello, who threw tear gas canisters at agents. Caravello was arrested and charged with assault on a federal officer, but was acquitted because the jury didn’t believe there was enough evidence that he had intent to harm.
Eventually, 10 people were charged with committing violence against federal officers that day; prosecutors say some were linked to VC Defensa:
During the operation, numerous protesters – some of them were members or associates of “VC Defensa,” a volunteer group whose members follow, chase, agitate, and impede federal agents enforcing immigration laws – arrived in and around the area of the Glass House Farms. VC Defensa “Rapid Response Network” members also conduct surveillance of DHS office buildings and alert the community to the presence of federal agents within their neighborhoods.
Martinez got into a confrontation with ICE officers in October, 2025, in Oxnard, when his group “engaged in the recording and verbal harassment” of officers attempting to arrest an illegal alien sex offender. In March of this year, he was arrested in Simi Valley when his group again interfered with federal immigration officers
Lori Mills, host of Uncover California, who has been documenting the links between anti-ICE groups in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties, told RedState:
Ventura County has been infiltrated by NGOs including VC Defensa (La Defensa), Indivisible Ventura, and 805 Undocufund. For the past year, these groups have systematically doxxed ICE agents and followed federal immigration operations, despite clear warnings that their actions violate federal law.
Of particular concern is their recruitment of high school and college students who are being used as useful idiots in these confrontational activities, placing young people at unnecessary legal and physical risk.
I urge federal, state, and local authorities to investigate these activities, enforce the law, and protect our community from further disruption. Public safety and the rule of law must prevail.
No arrests were made during Wednesday’s raid.
Editor’s Note: Democrat politicians and their radical supporters will do everything they can to interfere with and threaten ICE agents enforcing our immigration laws.
Help us hold these leftists accountable and expose their obstruction. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
