Four anti-ICE activists were arrested after allegedly planting homemade tire deflation devices around vehicles belonging to federal law enforcement agents conducting immigration enforcement operations in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles. The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon.
In a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), Border Patrol’s El Centro Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino, who is spearheading immigration enforcement operations in the greater Los Angeles area, reported the incident and provided photos of the makeshift tire deflation devices. In one image, a device can be seen piercing a tire of one of the federal law enforcement vehicles.
Federal Law Enforcement Vehicle’s Tire Damaged by Spikes (U.S. Border Patrol)
Bovino announced the arrests shortly afterwards in an additional post, identifying the suspects as Jenaro-Ernesto Ayala, 43, Jude Jasmine Jeannine Allard, 28, Sadot Jarnica, 54, and Daniel Montenegro, 30. According to Chief Bovino, the case has been forwarded to the United States Attorney’s Office. The case is under review by prosecutors.
Suspects Arrested for Placing Spikes near Federal Law Enforcement Vehicles (U.S. Border Patrol)
At the time of the arrests, agents located several of the homemade tire deflation devices and a tote bag that bore the logo of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA). CHIRLA provides legal services to immigrants and advocates for immigration reform. A social media post by CHIRLA on Instagram urges its followers to track and report U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Los Angeles to a rapid-response telephone line.
Tire Spikes and CHIRLA Tote Bag (U.S. Border Patrol)
The incident comes on the heels of another attempt by protesters to impede immigration operations in Los Angeles that occurred on Monday. In that incident, as reported by Breitbart Texas, federal immigration officers led by Chief Bovino were met by protesters as they conducted an enforcement operation at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles.
LA Mayor Karen Bass at Border Patrol Immigration Raid in MacArthur Park (AP Photos/Damian Dovarganes)
In addition to the small contingent of activists protesting the enforcement action, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass made a personal appearance in the park to denounce the operation, asking the agents and a group of U.S. Marines providing security for the agents to leave the area.
MacArthur Park has been known to be an area under the control of the Salvadoran MS-13 gang. Bovino spoke to Breitbart Texas after Monday’s operation and said the operation was aimed at impacting illegal alien gang activity that included the production and sales of false immigration and identity documents. Bovino says the park has a history of unlawful alien MS-13 gang activity that the operation intended to disrupt.
Chief Bovino was critical of the anti-law enforcement rhetoric coming from leaders of sanctuary cities and the physical attempts of activists to curb immigration law enforcement. Bovino says the rhetoric aimed at vilifying law enforcement agents is dangerous and could result in officers being injured or killed as they attempt to carry out their enforcement missions.
Bovino made it clear to Breitbart Texas that the dangerous rhetoric from the Los Angeles Mayor and others will have no impact on the federal government’s will to enforce existing immigration laws.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
Read the full article here