A Huntington Park family was left shaken and confused Friday morning after federal agents used an explosive device to break into their home — all over what they say was a minor traffic incident.
According to multiple news reports, armed Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents raided the residence while searching for Jorge Sierra-Hernandez, a U.S. citizen accused of striking a CBP vehicle with his Jeep.
“I just heard the loudest blast of my life,” said Jenny Ramirez, the homeowner, in an interview with NBC Los Angeles. “I told them, ‘You didn’t have to do this. You scared my son, my baby, and myself.’”
Ring camera footage shows agents placing an explosive at the front of Ramirez’s home. Moments later, a fiery blast blew open the door and windows. Agents entered the house with guns drawn.
Ramirez said she was inside with her two children, ages 1 and 6, when the explosion rocked their home shortly after 6 a.m. “Where they broke the window, my baby was there,” she told ABC7. “Before I could move him, it exploded. My ears went blank. They were shaking.”
She also said there was no warning — no knock or announcement — before the blast. She claimed agents later sent a drone into the home after the explosion.
A CBP spokesperson confirmed the raid, saying Sierra-Hernandez had rammed his vehicle into a CBP truck during a previous operation and that agents were assaulted by others throwing objects during the incident. “Anyone who obstructs or assaults law enforcement, including U.S. citizens, will face consequences,” the agency said.
But Ramirez offered a different version of events, claiming Sierra-Hernandez accidentally bumped into the CBP vehicle and was told by agents they were free to go. She said her boyfriend had planned to turn himself in.
Sierra-Hernandez later surrendered and is now out on bail, according to ABC7.
Huntington Park Mayor Arturo Flores criticized the raid. “This family did nothing wrong,” he said. “They were involved in a minor traffic accident, and this is the level of violence and the response that we get.”
