A Los Angeles mother was left in tears after a pre-dawn law enforcement raid shattered her front door with an explosive and woke her two young children.
According to the Daily Mail, the early-morning breach was part of a federal operation targeting a man accused of striking a Border Patrol vehicle, drawing national attention for the shock it caused to the family inside the home.
The raid unfolded in Huntington Park, a residential neighborhood of Los Angeles, where Jenny Ramirez and her two children — ages one and six — were inside their home during the incident. Around a dozen armed Border Patrol agents descended on the property while it was still dark, shattering the family’s door with a controlled explosion that also broke a nearby window.
Surveillance footage from the family's doorbell camera recorded the moments leading up to and during the blast. In the video, agents are seen placing an explosive device on the front door before stepping back and detonating it. Moments later, the agents stormed into the house wearing tactical gear and carrying weapons.
Jenny Ramirez said she had no idea federal agents would show up at her home and described the explosion as traumatizing to her family. “I told them, 'You guys didn’t have to do this, you scared my son, my baby,’” she told NBC News. She added that the blast was “one of the loudest explosions” she had ever experienced.
Children Caught in the Middle of a Chaotic Entry
According to Ramirez, her one-year-old and six-year-old children were jolted awake by the explosion and have been extremely shaken since. She stated that the agents used a drone to enter and observe the interior of the home during the confusion that followed the detonation.
Also inside the home was Ramirez’s boyfriend, Jorge Sierra-Hernandez, who officials confirmed was the main subject of the raid. Ramirez claims all individuals in the residence are U.S. citizens and said the family had no prior knowledge of any pending arrest or search.
Federal officials from Customs and Border Protection later stated that Sierra-Hernandez had been involved in an incident in which he allegedly rammed a CBP vehicle. The statement also indicated that the vehicle suffered significant damage and that law enforcement agents at the scene were allegedly obstructed by rioters who threw rocks and other items at them.
Federal Officials Defend Use of Tactics
Authorities have defended the tactics used in the raid, citing the severity of the alleged offense. They emphasized that the use of force was justified given the threat posed by the suspect’s previously reported actions.
The spokesperson did not release further details about the initial altercation involving Sierra-Hernandez or specify when it occurred. However, the agency reiterated that the raid was part of a broader escalation in federal law enforcement efforts across Southern California. Recent enforcement actions in the area have raised concerns. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reportedly apprehended individuals at courthouses, public locations, and businesses, with some detained individuals later confirmed to be U.S. citizens.
Growing Concerns Over Enforcement Practices
In one such incident cited by local media, a Honduran asylum-seeker and her children — including a six-year-old undergoing cancer treatment — were mistakenly taken into federal custody. These cases have intensified scrutiny of enforcement operations in the area. The use of aggressive tactics, including explosives and drones, has prompted civil rights advocates to call for greater oversight. Local leaders and community members have expressed alarm about the impact such raids can have on children and families uninvolved in any alleged wrongdoing.
On the same Friday of the Huntington Park raid, another incident in the same neighborhood highlighted further law enforcement issues. A man was reportedly arrested for impersonating an ICE agent, found with a firearm and government-style documents while parked in a disabled spot.
Homeowner Says Family Still Shaken
That individual was later released on bail, but the community continues to express unease over the presence and actions of federal agents in residential areas. The impersonation case underscored how sensitive the public conversation has become around enforcement personnel and their perceived roles.
Back at the home of Jenny Ramirez, the aftermath of the blast remains. Broken glass, ruined furniture, and frightened children are what’s left of the early-morning raid that shook more than just the walls of a suburban home. “They didn’t need to go that far,” Ramirez said, noting that her family is still recovering emotionally from the incident. “There are better ways to do things than scaring babies out of their sleep.”
