Lara Valdez, 70, awoke in the early hours of May 13 to the thunderous sound of federal immigration agents attempting to enter her Ventura County, California home.
“I was in a deep sleep when I heard what felt like an explosion,” she recounted in Spanish. “In that moment, my son Leo Martinez came in and said, ‘I’m turning myself in. They’re coming to get me.’
Valdez had barely enough time to put on a robe before hearing agents raising their weapons.
“They broke down our door and directed two rifles at me as they escorted me outside. I was placed in a van, where officers stood guard,” she continued.
A few moments later, Valdez witnessed agents bringing her son outside with his wrists bound. The duo was then seated opposite each other inside the van.
That same morning, officers from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted searches at the homes of two other community members, both recognized as pro-immigration activists. Investigators also combed through her son’s business.
All four individuals are U.S. citizens and belong to VC Defensa, an organization founded by Martinez in November 2024. The Rapid Response Network coordinates patrols to monitor Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities. The county also maintains a hotline and various support initiatives for local immigrant families.
Scenes from a Chaotic Morning
Sitting in the van that morning, Valdez observed her street cordoned off by law enforcement. Through the partially drawn curtains of her bedroom window, she watched as agents rummaged through her home.
Every corner of her modest residence was searched, with Valdez estimating around 40 agents outside and about 14 inside.
“They left our house in shambles. Mattresses were flipped, clothes were pulled from closets and strewn everywhere. It was devastating. They even dumped out vitamin bottles,” she recalled.
Ultimately, agents seized Valdez’s cell phone, her son’s phone, and her computer, along with expensive translation equipment intended for VC Defensa’s rights awareness workshops.
Valdez expressed outrage over the nighttime operation, characterizing it as a breach of her privacy.
“I felt like the worst criminals, yet they never threatened us, despite their excessive force during the raid,” she stated.
Valdez oversees food distribution efforts for underprivileged immigrant families through VC Defensa.
“They shouldn’t be subjected to such violence. For many, the only crime committed is migration, which at worst is a civil offense. Treating them like terrorists is unwarranted.”
A Pattern of Targeted Arrests
This incident is not the first time Valdez’s son has faced federal scrutiny.
On October 16, he was arrested while monitoring an industrial area in Oxnard, located about two hours north of Los Angeles. A video released by VC Defensa captured an ICE vehicle colliding with Martinez’s truck.
Following his arrest, Martinez was taken to the Los Angeles Downtown Detention Center, where he spent several hours inside an SUV before being released on pending charges.
“They assaulted me and then tried to frame me as the aggressor,” Martinez remarked.
ICE claimed in a statement that its agents confronted a group of instigators who were verbally antagonizing them while filming the encounter.
On March 10, Martinez was arrested once again by federal agents in Simi Valley, in southeastern Ventura County. He had arrived to assist members of VC Defensa who were alerting the community about ICE’s presence when he was apprehended. He reported that four or five federal vehicles boxed in his car to stop him.
After this arrest, he was taken to Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks and released several hours later.
Committed to Transparency
“Even if they did access all messages and files of our organization since its inception, they wouldn’t find anything criminal, because we have nothing to hide,” Martinez said.
He added, “These violent arrests reveal the frustration of agents who are unable to execute their intentions in our communities.”
Martinez noted that VC Defensa has approximately 1,000 volunteers, and for each member detained or deported, another emerges to take their place.
“Even if I am imprisoned, the organization will continue its mission,” he emphasized. “If they truly had something against me, they would have arrested me long ago.”
The Targeting of Activists
Juan José Gutierrez, director of the Immigrant Full Rights Coalition in Los Angeles, stated that the previous administration’s approach to illegal immigration has increasingly involved repressive measures now being used against U.S. citizens.
“We’ve not only seen arrests and deportations of undocumented immigrants, but also nearly 60 deaths in our custody and even two American citizens killed in Minnesota for standing with immigrant communities,” he said.
The situation in Ventura is alarming, according to Gutierrez, pointing to the attack on Valdez and her son’s home.
A report from The New York Times in March indicated that a DHS task force was pursuing criminal charges against VC Defensa.
Numerous advocates nationwide have been arrested, often on charges of assaulting or obstructing federal officers, yet many of these prosecutions are undermined by video evidence showing conflicting narratives.
In response to the searches carried out in Ventura, a coalition of attorneys is preparing a lawsuit.
“These raids began when the previous administration adopted tactics akin to terrorism against communities. They rarely result in actual arrests, and when they do, the government often fails to substantiate its claims,” said Reem Yassia, a lawyer for VC Defensa.
Yassia described the May 13 incident as an intimidation strategy aimed at stifling free expression.
VC Defensa is planning a federal civil lawsuit against the agency responsible and those who authorized the operation.
“Our organization operates within legal boundaries, and the intimidation tactics employed against us have not succeeded. We are resolute in our mission in Ventura and throughout California, and we will not be deterred,” Yassia said.
This article is part of “Aquí Estamos/Here We Stand,” a collaborative reporting initiative involving American Community Media and community news outlets statewide.
