LONG BEACH, CA — Federal agents took two men working as gardeners into custody Tuesday morning in Long Beach’s University Park Estates neighborhood during an enforcement action that drew concern from residents and briefly disrupted traffic.
According to the Long Beach Post, the incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. as three employees of a gardening company had just begun working on the street. Multiple black vehicles suddenly pulled into the area, blocking traffic and preventing both the gardeners and a city garbage truck from leaving.
The driver of the garbage truck began honking, alerting the workers to the agents’ presence, neighbors said. Video verified by the Long Beach Post shows one gardener placing his lawn equipment on the ground before being handcuffed by federal agents and led into the back of a vehicle.
A second gardener attempted to scale a nearby wall but was chased by a group of armed agents, according to witnesses.
During the encounter, agents asked the man for his documents. Witnesses said he produced an identification card and stated that he was born at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center, adding that he is a dual citizen. One agent said he would investigate the claim. Despite that, the man was handcuffed by several agents and placed into the vehicle.
The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment, and it remains unclear which federal agency conducted the operation or what prompted the detentions.
No additional information about the identities of the men or potential charges was immediately available.