On Oct. 21, the King City Police Department issued a statement that Immigration and Customs Enforcement wasn't in the area, and said the morning's increased police presence was part of an operation involving law enforcement agencies in South County.
“We want to clarify that this is NOT an ICE operation,” the KCPD statement said, encouraging residents to seek trusted sources before spreading misinformation. “Please continue to rely on official sources for accurate information and updates.”
Local law enforcement, including the Soledad, King City and Greenfield police departments and the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office, conducted two search warrants in King City involving cannabis, including the illegal sale, transportation and storage of marijuana wax pens and THC vaporizers.
“They have been making their way to our schools,” Greenfield Police Chief Guillermo Mixer says, noting officials want to reduce access to vape pens and THC among youth.
Rapid Response Network in Monterey County encouraged the community to halt the spread of misinformation. The Response Network said fake ICE reports have sharply increased in the region, especially posts containing AI-generated images.
This is the second time this month law enforcement and the Rapid Response Network have reported fake ICE rumors. The first one happened in Seaside on Oct. 8 involving AI-generated images.