The Central Coast pot operation that was raided by an enormous pressure of federal immigration brokers final week is the topic of a state investigation into unlawful little one labor, state officers mentioned Monday.
Officers with the state Division of Hashish Management mentioned they’ve launched “an lively investigation” after receiving a criticism that Glass Home, one of many state’s largest authorized hashish firms, had employed minors. The corporate has amenities in Camarillo and Carpinteria; it’s unclear the place the criticism was directed.
In an announcement, state officers mentioned that they had performed a website go to at Glass Home in Might and located no violations. However later that month, the division acquired a criticism and opened the probe.
“The employment of people beneath the age of 21 within the hashish trade is strictly unlawful, a critical matter, and isn’t tolerated,” the assertion mentioned. “We encourage anybody with details about little one labor or trafficking at any facility to right away contact the Division.”
Glass Home didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark Monday. However in an announcement posted to X final week, the corporate mentioned it “doesn’t and has by no means employed minors.”
Federal officers raided the corporate’s operations in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties as a part of the Trump administration’s ongoing marketing campaign towards undocumented immigrants in California. Officers mentioned they arrested 361 folks on the two websites, together with “no less than 14 migrant kids.”
In an announcement, the Division of Homeland Safety mentioned it had “rescued” the youngsters “from potential exploitation, pressured labor and human trafficking.” Division officers mentioned 10 of the youngsters, who had been unaccompanied minors, had been transferred to the custody of the Division of Well being and Human Providers.
This can be a growing story and can be up to date.