An immigration-enforcement operation in Santa Maria, Calif., targeted a labor recruiter accused of exploiting migrant farm workers through a visa fraud scheme, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations in Santa Maria arrested three illegal immigrants from Mexico and a U.S. citizen during the worksite enforcement raid on Nov. 13. They are accused of violating immigration and federal laws related to visa fraud and fraud in foreign labor contracting.
ICE issued a news release detailing the scheme, alleging a labor recruiter named Jorge Vasquez exploited migrant farm workers. They were recruited to work in the United States under the H-2A seasonal farm labor visa program, while employed by JJB Farms LLC and others.
Vasquez is accused of leading the scheme to extort money from the workers. They forced migrant workers to pay illegal fees and threatened them with deportation or violence if they didn’t pay or complained to authorities, according to ICE.
HSI, the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, working with the Homeland Security Task Force, helped expose the fraud and abuse of migrant workers.
ICE officials stated that Vasquez and others in Mexico recruited workers to apply for an H-2A visa to work in the U.S. Vasquez then demanded that workers pay substantial fees in exchange for the opportunity, much of which was deducted from their farmworker wages.
“That’s a violation of the H-2A visa rules and a violation of federal peonage laws,” the ICE statement said. “Some critics have described such practices as a form of modern-day slavery.”
In one case, Vasquez allegedly told a worker he would charge him $8,000 for a visa — including a $1,000 deposit to Vasquez, with the remainder coming from the worker’s farm earnings.
Vasquez reportedly threatened to tell immigration officials if the workers refused to participate in the “pay-to-play” scheme. They were also threatened if they didn’t meet certain productivity levels or comply with other extortion efforts, the agency said.
Vasquez allegedly tried to intimidate and threaten workers’ families if they complained or spoke to the U.S. government’s inspectors about their treatment.
The operation attracted activists from southern California’s Rapid Response Network, the Santa Maria Times reported. Witnesses said between 15 and 20 people were taken from homes and nearby fields, though the number has not been confirmed.
While activists continue to protest ICE across the country, the agency said it continues to remove criminal illegal aliens, expose fraud and uncover human and labor trafficking.
Regional Homeland Security Task Forces help combat threats to homeland security, targeting transnational criminal groups, drug smuggling, human trafficking, labor violations and other federal crimes.
“HSTF is a crucial part of President Trump’s mission to create safe neighborhoods for all Americans so that mothers, fathers and children can enjoy the quality of life they deserve, free from the dangers of drug overdoses, organized crime and human traffickers preying on our most vulnerable,” the ICE statement continued. “HSTF’s success thus far is a testament to what can happen when the federal government puts the American people first.”
The Trump administration isn’t simply targeting illegal immigrants, but the fraud that has also fueled mass migration. This case is among several recent reports of fraud related to immigration documents and attempts to extort illegal immigrants.
In January, four Bay Area residents were indicted, along with seven business entities they owned, in connection with a visa and mail fraud conspiracy.
They are accused of using technology companies in Santa Clara County to submit fraudulent H-1B visa applications and other documents to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the U.S. Department of Labor, according to an ICE news release.
In September, the U.S. Department of Justice filed charges against 12 people involved in an international alien smuggling and asylum fraud operation. They are accused of helping Cuban nationals illegally enter the country and claim asylum using bogus documents.
The defendants ran an elaborate illegal alien smuggling conspiracy that primarily operated during President Joe Biden’s term, according to the indictment.
The scheme alleges asylum fraud, money laundering and other crimes that brought thousands of immigrants illegally into the United States for profit, the DOJ said.
In October, three Guatemalan nationals were hit with federal charges in West Michigan for allegedly selling phony U.S. residency cards to illegal immigrants. The defendants are accused of conspiring to transfer and sell false permanent resident cards and Social Security account number cards, according to a news release.
The trio allegedly sold the fake documents before June 2024 through June 2025 to individuals who were in the U.S. illegally. Homeland Security Investigations agents observed seven occasions where the men sold the fake IDs to confidential sources, prosecutors said.
In Minnesota, an investigation by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services involved over 1,000 site visits across the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Immigration officers found evidence of fraud, non-compliance, or public safety or national security concerns in 275 cases — roughly 44 percent of cases interviewed.
Dubbed Operation Twin Shield, the effort focused on verifications for applicants and petitioners with pending immigration benefits who matched specified risk criteria.
“What they found should shock all of America,” said USCIS Director Joseph Edlow during a press conference. “Officers encountered blatant marriage fraud, visa overstays, people claiming to work at businesses that can’t be found, forged documents, abuse of the H-1B visa system, abuse of the F-1 visa, and many other discrepancies.”
