Follow-Up: ICE Releases Its Account of the Salinas Jail Operation: Three Detainees Not Transferred, Two Later Out of Custody
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released its formal account on November 3 of its October 27 operation in Salinas, publicly identifying the operation's targets for the first time: its officers went that day to the Monterey County Jail in Salinas, Monterey County, California, to take custody of three detainees, Sheriff Tina M. Nieto placed the jail on lockdown for about three hours, none of the three was transferred, and two of them were no longer in custody the next day. On October 27 itself, the Sheriff's Office had described the lockdown as a precautionary safety measure and ICE personnel withdrew that evening, with officials at the scene saying five people were arrested (see the related report at the end of this article).
ICE said six of its agents arrived at the Monterey County Jail on October 27 requesting custody transfer of Eduardo Castro-Lopez, also known as Jordan Eduardo Yac; Jose Luis Quinones, also known as Jose Manuel Garcia; and Angelina Ramirez-Sepulveda. According to ICE, the three have prior arrests for offenses including DUI, drug offenses and providing false identification.
ICE said its officers waited outside the jail and cordoned off the area with yellow tape to facilitate the targeted operation, and that after a crowd of protesters began to form, Monterey County Sheriff Tina M. Nieto opted to place the facility on lockdown. The lockdown lasted approximately three hours, during which new bookings and inmate releases were suspended and public visitor doors were closed, while the jail continued regular operations and published an online custody log.
"None of the suspects were turned over to ICE during the lockdown," said ICE Assistant Director of Public Affairs Micah Bock. "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."
ICE said the next day's online custody log showed that Castro-Lopez had been released from custody and Quinones was no longer shown as being in custody, while Ramirez-Sepulveda remained in custody. In a social media post, ICE said two of the individuals it sought were reportedly released and criticized sanctuary cities and states for protecting criminals and a law enforcement facility for siding with criminals instead of cooperating with federal law enforcement.
ICE said that under President Trump it is focused on its core mission: enforcing immigration law and protecting the American people.
Source: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：美国移民与海关执法局（ICE）总部大楼（华盛顿，GSM 四级固定图库；摄影 G. Edward Johnson，CC BY 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons）。 / Photo: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters building in Washington (GSM fixed asset library; photo by G. Edward Johnson, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons).
- 2026-10-28ICE Operation Outside Monterey County Jail in Salinas, California Draws Protesters: Jail Locked Down on October 27, Officials Say Five Arrested
- 2026-11-03Follow-Up: ICE Releases Its Account of the Salinas Jail Operation: Three Detainees Not Transferred, Two Later Out of CustodyThis story
