Big law enforcement presence in Central Valley was not ICE, Fresno sheriff says

A large law enforcement presence in Fresno County on Thursday morning was not related to immigration enforcement operations and those involved were not ICE agents.

That’s according to the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office, posting on social media Thursday morning.

“A multi-agency law enforcement operation took place in Fresno County. Officers served search warrants at numerous homes in relation to ongoing investigations of violent crimes.”

The scope of the operation was not immediately clear.

The Sheriff’s Office operation did not share where the operation took place, which agencies were involved or whether any arrests were made.

A message to the Sheriff’s Office was not immediately returned, but in its earlier post the department said details of the operation “will be released at a later time.“

Speculation, and confusion, over ICE raids has been an issue in Fresno County since immigration enforcement ramped up last year. Immigration agents often operate in plain clothes, out of unmarked vehicles, which can be mistaken for local law enforcement.

In January, Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto issued an explainer for the public, saying its officers “will always be wearing a tactical vest, bearing a Fresno Police Department patch and an identifier on the back as either police or their designated special unit, such as ‘MAGEC’ or ‘CCAT’.”