California State University professor indicted for attacking federal agents during marijuana farm raid
A CSU Channel Islands professor, Jonathan Caravello, has been federally indicted for allegedly throwing a tear gas canister at law enforcement during a Homeland Security raid on a marijuana farm.
He faces one count of assault on a federal officer with a dangerous weapon and could receive up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
A professor at California State University (CSU) Channel Islands in Camarillo, California, has been federally indicted for allegedly attacking Homeland Security agents during a raid on a marijuana farm.
Jonathan Caravello faces one count of assault on a federal officer using a deadly or dangerous weapon, according to a Department of Justice press release. He was released on $15,000 bond and is scheduled for arraignment in United States District Court in Los Angeles. If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison.
Federal agents with Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Border Patrol executed a search warrant on the Camarillo property in July. The DOJ stated that protesters blocked officers’ exit and later turned violent, throwing rocks at government vehicles, breaking windows, and damaging mirrors.
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During the confrontation, agents deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd. Authorities allege Caravello ran toward a canister, tried to kick it, then picked it up and threw it back at agents. He also allegedly resisted arrest, kicking officers and refusing to comply.
Nancy Covarrubias Gill, a communications official at CSU Channel Islands, told Campus Reform the school will not comment further because the matter is “before the courts.” She added, “We respect the legal process and believe it is important to allow it to proceed without speculation. Our focus remains on our ongoing work and commitments to our students.”
The California Faculty Association (CFA), which represents more than 29,000 CSU faculty members, defended Caravello in a July Instagram post. The union described him as “kidnapped” by federal agents, claiming that masked officers “dragged Jonathan away into an unmarked [vehicle] without identifying themselves, without giving the reason for arrest, and without disclosing where they are taking him.”
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On its website, CFA calls itself “an anti-racism, social justice union,” a description consistent with the group’s history of ideological activism across California campuses.
Campus Reform has contacted Jonathan Caravello for additional comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
