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FBI and EPA Execute Search Warrant at GKN Aerospace Garden Grove Site

Federal teams seized records and chemical samples to investigate whether the company violated safety laws.

Evacuees Rodger Macias, left, his wife Alendera Marcias, and son, Adam Marcias, set up a tent outside the Elks Lodge in Garden Grove, Calif., on Monday, May 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Water is sprayed on a damaged tank at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove, Calif., on Sunday, May 24, 2026, after the tank containing a chemical used to make plastic parts overheated Thursday. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Evacuees Rodger Macias, right, and his wife Alendera Marcias set up a tent outside the Elks Lodge in Garden Grove, Calif., on Monday, May 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Jan De Jonge kisses a pet while sitting inside a tent with their belonging outside the Elks Lodge in Garden Grove, Calif., on Monday, May 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

Overview

  • Federal agents and EPA scientists executed a court-authorized search warrant at the Garden Grove plant on Wednesday to seize electronic records, documents and chemical samples for a criminal and federal probe.
  • The probe stems from a May 21 refrigeration valve failure that caused a methyl methacrylate tank to overheat and bulge, forcing mandatory evacuations for about 50,000 people and a state of emergency.
  • A U.S. magistrate signed the warrant on June 4 to allow investigators to seek training logs, safety reports, communications and physical samples to assess possible violations of federal accident-prevention law.
  • Community anger rose after GKN officials testified at a city council meeting on Tuesday and apologized but declined to give firm timelines for removing remaining methyl methacrylate or for cleanup completion.
  • Local cleanup plans remain stalled because sealed transport trucks and specialized equipment are not yet available, and advocates highlight regulatory gaps since methyl methacrylate is not covered by key federal and California accident-prevention programs.