County officials enable child trafficking, Carbajal takes their money

July 14, 2025

OPINION by BOB SMITH

It’s time to speak the truth about what occurred in Carpinteria and Camarillo this past week. There’s a reason trust in local media is collapsing as they refuse to report the truth.

While headlines talk about “families being torn apart,” here’s what actually happened during the ICE raids at Glass House Farms in Camarillo and Carpinteria this past week:

Federal agents acted on a targeted judicial warrant to investigate child trafficking and illegal labor operations. Fourteen trafficked minors were rescued from farms in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. We have over 300,000 missing children from border crossings.

One illegal site coordinator arrested was tied to the cartels, with prior convictions for kidnapping, child rape, and sex trafficking. Let that sink in.

Follow the money

Instead of standing with law enforcement or the victims, local Democrat leaders rushed to defend the farm and their child labor exploitation, before knowing the facts. Glass House Farms leadership has been active in campaign donations locally:

• Congressman Salud Carbajal: $9,850 from Glass House Farms president Graham Farrar.
• Assemblyman Gregg Hart: $1,000.
• Governor Gavin Newsom: $10,000.
• Santa Barbara Democratic Party and ActBlue: Received tens of thousands more.

And then what happened? Representative Salud Carbajal (24th District) and Representative Julia Brownley (26th District), along with local county and city elected officials, publicly sided with protesters who were aggressively fighting against federal authorities. Federal authorities that were stopping an illegal child labor trafficking ring!

This is precisely what I want our federal agents doing.

After the event, Carpinteria called a special City Council session to approve funds from the city’s general fund, which has been running a deficit for years and currently has a $1 million shortfall, to fund non-governmental organizations (NGOs) supporting illegal immigrants. This is more of your tax dollars not being used for public safety, school resource officers, fixing streets, etc.

This is not about compassion. It’s about power, money, and control.

Our public officials are enabling cartel-linked drug farms, labor exploitation, and child trafficking, while using your tax dollars to fund NGOs that fight against legal immigration enforcement and protect these operations. This is happening all over the state, with federal funds being cut for these activities, they are naturally showing up in cities and counties for funding.

Representative Salud Carbajal endangers ICE officers

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced this weekend that while Representative Carbajal participated in the protests ( “was part of a violent mob of protestors attempting to obstruct federal law enforcement” ),  he doxed ICE agents by sharing their business cards with the violent mob.

ICE stated this is exactly the kind of behavior that has led to a 700% increase in officer assaults.

Our congressman participates in the body that legislates federal law, then attacks our officers who enforce it. Why is he not in Washington, changing the laws he opposes?

This isn’t about left or right. This is about right and wrong. Our kids, our laws, and our communities deserve better. Let’s work together to make California make sense again.

Bob Smith is a Carpinteria resident and a challenger for 24th Congressional District seat currently held by Salud Carbajal. He is a retired U.S. Navy officer and combat veteran who served our country for over 26 years.