6 months ago
11
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Action News was invited for an exclusive look astatine ICE operations targeting radical with known transgression ties oregon convictions successful Central California.
We spent much than 12 hours with conscionable 1 of the teams moving to instrumentality these individuals into custody.
They were going aft much than 100 radical identified arsenic targets.
Agents accidental they were targeting radical who person erstwhile transgression convictions and were backmost successful the state illegally.
Our time with the squad started hours earlier sunrise successful the car with Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent successful Charge Tatum King.
"It's 3:45 a.m. We're successful Fresno, California. We're headed to a briefing determination for instrumentality enforcement officers and agents to benignant of program their enforcement enactment this morning," said King.
The team, which is conscionable 1 of dozens passim the Central Valley, met to little everyone connected their archetypal target.
Action News was asked not to amusement their faces some for their ain information and to support the integrity of their operation, but the radical included section FBI agents.
They were precocious fixed migration authorization by the Secretary of Homeland Security nether Title 8.
At 4:22 a.m., the squad headed to the determination of their archetypal people aft being debriefed.
The people was a antheral who had been deported once.
Officials accidental helium has a condemnation of possession of and acquisition of narcotics for sale.
"We're going into an flat analyzable with a known bulldog pack activity. So, it's important that we get in, get the violator, and past get retired truthful we tin bash this safely," said King.
We sat and waited for much than 2 hours.
Agents expected the people from Mexico to permission based connected his erstwhile patterns.
When helium didn't, they went to sound connected the doorway instead.
They accidental a pistillate answered, invited them to look wrong and helium wasn't there.
Agents moved connected to their adjacent people successful Sanger.
They accidental the antheral was antecedently deported to Mexico and has a transgression record.
"He's got a condemnation for forgery, aggregate cause possession cases arsenic good arsenic conveyance theft," said King.
While waiting successful the car erstwhile again, Action News asked King astir what happens erstwhile teams brushwood their people with different people.
"If we bash brushwood idiosyncratic during these targeted enforcement operations, and they're successful beforehand of us, we person to place them and instrumentality due enactment based connected their history," explained King.
"If determination are concerns similar childcare concerns, we bash person discretion connected the issuing of different documentation and not taking them into custody due to the fact that that's besides important to us. We privation to marque sure, particularly if determination are immoderate kids, underage kids, that they're getting due support."
After astir an hr and a fractional of surveillance, agents knocked connected the target's doorway and checked his car, but didn't find him.
Agents regrouped and were briefed connected a 3rd people they received a extremity astir successful Fresno.
"Tipster alleged that he's known to transportation guns and narcotics helium was antecedently removed to Mexico," an cause explained.
Once again, agents acceptable up successful the neighborhoods of 2 known addresses for the people but did not find him.
After spending respective hours searching 2 locations, agents moved to a location they had developed intel on.
Agents knocked connected the doorway and were invited into the home, but did not find the target.
In Madera County, different squad took a 78-year-old El Salvadorian antheral into custody.
"The idiosyncratic had an affiliation with MS 13 and a revoked visa," King explained.
King told america they were taking the antheral to a Fresno bureau for processing and past helium would beryllium sent to a Bakersfield migration halfway for processing and person an accidental to spot an migration judge.
At the extremity of the day, Action News asked ICE astir the bigger picture.
"People are already fearful successful the assemblage astir being deported. They're fearful astir ICE being successful their communities. They're going to ticker this and spot that ICE is successful their neighborhood. What would beryllium your connection to them?" asked Action News.
"We're doing targeted enforcement, looking astatine threats, individuals that are preying connected their ain communities, making definite that they're harmless and knowing again that it's precise strategical work," King said.
"There's nary sweeps going on. We are focused connected individuals that we deliberation are a menace to the assemblage and we'll proceed doing so. I besides deliberation it's important that individuals not subordinate with criminals. It's important that they cognize who they are associating with for their ain involvement arsenic good arsenic for the involvement of their loved ones."
In the end, we're told national authorities took a full of 44 radical into custody during the three-day cognition present successful Central California.
ICE tells Action News they were each progressive successful illicit activities.
For quality updates, travel Jessica Harrington connected Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Copyright © 2025 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.
