Feds Arrest 97 Agitators Involved in Los Angeles Anti-Ice Riots Over the Summer

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Federal authorities have reportedly arrested 97 agitators for assaulting and/or obstructing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during the violent anti-ICE riots in the Los Angeles area over the summer.

“Impeding law enforcement during a civil disorder is a federal felony with a statutory maximum sentence of 5 years in prison,” U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli stated during a press conference, Wednesday. “We will not tolerate violence against officers who are simply doing their job.”

Hundreds of organized agitators took to the streets in June and July, blocking roads, ramming federal vehicles, and throwing rocks and fireworks at officers, causing injuries such as concussions and lacerations.

After a particularly violent clash on June 8, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warned California Democrats to “call off their rioting mob.”

“The first night was bad, what we’ve seen subsequent to that is getting increasingly worse and more violent, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell told reporters at the time. “We are overwhelmed … There is no limit to what they are doing to our officers.”

At one point, California Highway Patrol officers were trapped under an overpass, with rioters above throwing concrete and flammable materials at their vehicles, smashing in windows and setting them on fire.

“I want to be very clear. Every American has a right to peacefully protest,” Essayli, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, said during the presser. “What is not constitutionally protected is a right to engage in violence, or to impede federal agents by assaulting or doxing or obstructing their operations.”

Fox News was embedded Wednesday with Homeland Security during the pre-dawn arrest of one of the agitators, who was arrested by agents in a dark alleyway. Isai Carrillo was seen on video  smashing in federal agents’ windows as they raided a pot farm near LA in July.

More than 300 people were arrested in that operation, and one farmworker died after falling from a greenhouse roof. A number of alleged child laborers were also found at the site.

Following the raid, Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott posted on X that the farm was “now under investigation for child labor violations.”

Wednesday’s pre-dawn raid specifically targeted two anti-ICE activists who federal authorities said played a lead role in the disturbing, viral video that shows activists bottlenecking immigration agent’s cars and then violently smashing-in their windows during a notable pot farm raid in Camarillo, Calif., over the summer.

Carrillo was arrested while attempting to flee from authorities, said Eddy Wang, Homeland Security Investigations Los Angeles special agent in charge. A fellow agitator, Virginia Reyes, who allegedly trails agents and posts videos, was also wanted at the same address as Carrillo,” Fox reported. She escaped arrest Wednesday morning, but later turned herself in, Fox reported.

“The actions taken by these suspects and others on July 10th and other related incidents were neither speech nor peaceful,” Wang said. “So let me be clear. We will vigorously protect the rights to free speech and the right to peacefully and freely assemble. But we will also, without fear or favor, deliver consequences and bring accountability to those that would assault, impede or obstruct federal law enforcement officers or destroy government property.”

There are at least eight people still wanted by federal law enforcement for their roles in the violent riots, including an individual who fired a gun during the marijuana farm raid.

A number of Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) were identified as organizers of the mayhem in LA’s June riots, most notably the Coalition for Humane Immigration Rights or CHIRLA, and the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

During the briefing Wednesday, Essayli slammed local Democrat officials for encouraging radical street agitators to engage in violent resistance against law enforcement.

Essayli pointed out that a U.S. Marshal and an illegal immigrant suspect were both shot during a law enforcement operation just last week.

The incident occurred on Oct 21 at around 8:50 a.m. when federal agents, including U.S. Marshals and ICE officers, attempted to apprehend a suspect who had previously escaped custody.

The officers pulled over the alleged illegal alien, identified as Carlitos Ricardo Parias, 44, of Mexico,  in a standard law enforcement procedure. Parias, according to DHS, then “weaponized his vehicle and began ramming the law enforcement vehicle in an attempt to flee.”

In response, the officers reportedly fired defensive shots toward the vehicle. The suspect was shot in the elbow, and the U.S. Marshal was struck in the hand by a ricochet bullet, DHS said.

“This is not a game. I think some people out there think this is some sort of a game or, or political stunt,”  Essayli said. “You have elected officials who are encouraging this behavior. The consequences here are extremely serious.”