The Monterey County Jail in Salinas was visited by ICE agents on Tuesday for a targeted operation seeking three individuals with prior arrests for DUI, drug offenses, and providing false identification.
Instead of working with them to facilitate transfers, the jail was placed on lockdown for roughly three hours, suspending new bookings and inmate releases while a crowd of protesters and observers gathered outside.
ICE left without taking anyone into custody during the standoff, and the sheriff’s office has indicated that they would do it again.
The three criminal illegal aliens in question were Eduardo Castro-Lopez (also known as Jordan Eduardo Yac), Jose Luis Quinones (also known as Jose Manuel Garcia), and Angelina Ramirez-Sepulveda.
An ICE spokesperson told Border Hawk that “what should have been a simple, routine operation quickly went sideways.”
NEW: A California Jail Went Into Temporary Lockdown Instead of Releasing Inmates to ICE Agents
October 27: Six @ICEgov agents arrived at the Monterey County Jail in Salinas, CA requesting custody transfer of three suspected criminal illegal aliens. Rather than release the people in custody, the jail chose to enter a 3 hour lockdown and refused to release the illegal aliens into federal custody.
A crowd of protesters quickly formed, and County of Monterey District 1, Supervisor Luis Alejo, was also on scene and took video of the crowd.
The agents were there to recover Eduardo Castro-Lopez, also known as Jordan Eduardo Yac; Jose Luis Quinones, also known as Jose Manuel Garcia; and Angelina Ramirez-Sepulveda.
The suspects have prior arrests for multiple offenses including DUI, drug offenses and providing false identification.
“None of the suspects were turned over to ICE during the lockdown,” said ICE Assistant Director of Public Affairs @MicahBock to @BorderHawkNews.
“A local county supervisor told the ICE officers that the sheriff would not release the inmates to them. It’s borderline obscene that a facility that’s there to protect the public would go on lockdown to protect criminal illegal aliens from the consequences of violating federal immigration law.”
Footage by KSBW Action News 8 shows an ICE agent talking to Monterey County District 4 Supervisor Wendy Root Askew who stated clearly the 3 men would NOT be released from the jail due to the presence of immigration agents.
By the next day, the online custody log showed that Castro-Lopez had been released from custody and Quinones was no longer shown as being in custody. Ramirez-Sepulveda remained in custody.
“Two of the individuals ICE sought were reportedly released from custody. This is where we are: Criminals are being protected in sanctuary cities and states, and a law enforcement facility is siding with CRIMINALS instead of cooperating with federal law enforcement,” said ICE on social media.
— Wid Lyman (@Wid_Lyman) November 2, 2026
While agents waited in an area marked with yellow caution tape, protesters arrived. Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo was on scene and filmed the protest.
Roughly 50 people, including legal observers, lawyers, and politicians, were present.
Supervisor Wendy Root Askew was recorded in a tense exchange with an ICE agent, telling him she had spoken with the sheriff and that “they will not be releasing anyone who is at risk today.”
“OK, so to be clear: Because we are here, the folks that are in there that would otherwise be legally allowed out there, Fourth Amendment rights are being violated by the sheriff to keep them in there? Is that what I’m hearing from you?” the agent asked, according to a report and video from KSBW.
Askew replied, “They will not be released in a location where ICE is present.”
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office announced the lockdown around 5:40 p.m., stating the facility was not accepting new bookings, that all inmate releases were temporarily suspended, and that public visitation was closed except for attorneys.
Officials said they took the measures “out of an abundance of caution to ensure everybody’s safety.”
ICE agents departed around 6:30 p.m. amid the protest. The jail resumed normal operations less than two hours later.
The sheriff’s office later said scheduled releases were not affected overall and that the lockdown was intended to maintain a safe environment.
MONTEREY COUNTY JAIL PLACED FACILITY ON FULL LOCKDOWN, HARBORING CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIENS FROM FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
On October 27, the Monterey County Jail was placed on temporary lockdown following a targeted ICE operation involving criminal illegal aliens with prior arrests for DUI, drug offenses, and providing false identification.
New bookings and inmate releases were temporarily suspended. Two of the individuals ICE sought were reportedly released from custody.
This is where we are: Criminals are being protected in sanctuary cities and states, and a law enforcement facility is siding with CRIMINALS instead of cooperating with federal law enforcement.
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) October 29, 2026
ICE, however, stated that two of the three individuals it sought were reportedly released from custody and accused the jail of “harboring” them, writing that “criminals are being protected in sanctuary cities and states, and a law enforcement facility is siding with CRIMINALS instead of cooperating with federal law enforcement.”
By the following day, custody records confirmed that Castro-Lopez had been released and Quinones was no longer listed as in custody, while Ramirez-Sepulveda remained.
The post WATCH: California Jail Goes on Three-Hour Lockdown Rather Than Hand Criminal Illegal Aliens to ICE, Monterey County Supervisor Tells Agent They Will Not Release Anyone When ICE is Present appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.