U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced Monday that a raid in Santa Maria last week that attracted a crowd of protesters stemmed from a visa fraud investigation.

Rutilio Vázquez, who lives in the East Valley Farms neighborhood, says federal agents arrived at 5:30 a.m. Thursday, with bright lights, drones, and loud commands as they ordered people to exit one of the properties.

“When they talk, they say that we are federal police or something like that. ‘We want you to come out with hands on your head,’” he told KSBY News in Spanish.

ICE reports that three undocumented people from Mexico and one U.S. citizen were arrested. Investigators allege a labor recruiter named Jorge Vasquez collected illegal fees – in one case up to $8,000, including a $1,000 upfront deposit – in e

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