Full Breakdown
Federal Raids Target VC Defensa Volunteers in Ventura County
5/21/2026, 12:17:58 AM
Pre-Dawn Raids on VC Defensa Members
On 13 May 2026, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted pre-dawn raids on the home and screen-print studio of Leonardo Martinez, founder of VC Defensa, and on the residences of volunteers Alexandria Quintanar in Oxnard and a third member in Thousand Oaks. More than 100 federal immigration agents entered the four locations; no arrests were made. Search warrants authorized seizure of a USB drive, two knives, a phone, skateboards, a riot shield, additional phones and a computer.
Background and Recent Confrontations
VC Defensa, a volunteer-run network that operates a rapid-response ICE-watch hotline, was formed shortly before President Trump’s second term. The group now has over 1,000 volunteers and has previously intervened in ICE operations, notably during the July 2025 raids on Glass House cannabis farms that resulted in a farm-worker death and hundreds of arrests. In October 2025, two VC Defensa volunteers were arrested in an HSI operation linked to protests over those raids. Martinez’s vehicle was rammed by an ICE officer in October 2025 and again in March 2026; he was briefly hospitalized after each incident.
Key Figures and Organizations
- Leonardo Martinez – founder and volunteer leader of VC Defensa.
- Reem Yassin – attorney representing VC Defensa.
- Lainy Yompian – VC Defensa leader who addressed supporters after the raids.
- Alexandria Quintanar – activist whose Oxnard home was searched.
- Mitch Lillie – volunteer who reported phone seizures and threatening calls.
- Colin Scott – federal prosecutor from the terrorism and export crimes section named in the warrants.
- Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its investigative arm HSI – executing the raids.
Data and Statistics
- > 1,000 volunteers in VC Defensa.
- > 50 individuals associated with the group have been targeted in the past year.
- Approximately 40 volunteers were scouting for ICE vehicles on the morning before the raids.
- More than 100 agents participated in the May 13 operation.
- Seized items included a USB drive, two knives, a phone, skateboards, a riot shield, additional phones and a computer.
Official Statements and Responses
A DHS spokesperson said the warrants were issued against “individuals associated with an anti-ICE organization” and authorized seizure of evidence of “conspiracies to impede or injure federal officers or destruction of government property.” The spokesperson also noted that “under President Trump, if you assault law enforcement officers, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” DHS and the FBI declined to comment on whether VC Defensa is under a domestic-terrorism investigation. A New York Times report confirmed a DHS task force is examining the group for alleged “radical leftist conspiracies.”
Criticism and Opposition
Reem Yassin characterized the raids as “fishing expeditions” built on “baseless” warrants and an “intimidation tactic to suppress free speech.” She announced a coalition of lawyers preparing a civil lawsuit alleging violations of the volunteers’ constitutional rights. The group’s supporters chanted “Trump, escucha, ¡estamos en la lucha!” and vowed continued activism.
On-the-Ground Reports
At 5 a.m. on 12 May, Martinez patrolled Oxnard in a pickup truck equipped with a megaphone, horn, dash-cams and floodlights, accompanied by roughly 40 volunteers. The patrols monitor ICE vehicles, deter arrests by honking and shouting, and provide families with legal aid, childcare, groceries, rental assistance, and transportation. Volunteers have previously intervened within five minutes of a hotline call, “screaming and kicking” ICE officers out of neighborhoods.
Conflicting Reports and Gaps
While the raids resulted in no arrests, earlier incidents involved arrests of VC Defensa volunteers. DHS provided limited details about the warrants, citing an “ongoing investigation,” whereas the group alleges the operation was a pre-textual intimidation. No official confirmation exists regarding a domestic-terrorism probe, leaving the scope of the investigation unclear.
Verbatim Quotes
- “These raids are nothing more than an intimidation tactic to suppress free speech,” — Reem Yassin, VC Defensa attorney
- “We’re gonna continue to fight back, we’re gonna continue to organize, we’re not gonna stop,” — Lainy Yompian, VC Defensa leader
- “If we did a fraction of the things that they do to us, we would immediately all get rallied up and thrown in federal facilities,” — Leonardo Martinez, VC Defensa founder
- “Under President Trump, if you assault law enforcement officers, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” — DHS spokesperson
- “El trabajo que nosotros hacemos diario son los gracias que nosotros les damos a ustedes, a los papás.” — Leonardo Martinez, press conference
What’s Next
VC Defensa’s legal team plans to file a civil suit alleging constitutional violations. The DHS task force continues its investigation, and federal prosecutors have not disclosed further actions. Observers expect additional legal challenges and possible further enforcement actions in the coming months.