Federal agents with guns drawn raided a medicinal marijuana greenhouse on Highway 12 and one of the co-owners of Montana Cannabis says he was not given a reason why about 1,700 plants were taken Monday.

Chris Williams said about a dozen of his employees were handcuffed, detained and questioned.

Agents asked if he knew the operation was federally illegal, Williams said, but would not give him any information.

“That’s the surprise DEA raid — you don’t get a heads up,” he said, while standing outside the fence of the Montana Cannabis greenhouse.

Williams said he is waiting to see if he’ll be arrested.

“I’m still a little bit in shock,” he said. “We’ll see what happens.”

Agencies involved in the raid included the Drug Enforcement Administration, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. attorney’s office in Montana said she could not comment on the raid, one of at least 10 statewide. A statement would be released soon after the search warrant is unsealed by a court order, she said.

Williams said he saw the warrant for one of the company’s four stores.