An illegal alien social media influencer who filmed and posted information and videos about ICE raids in California was deported to Colombia last week. Tatiana Mafla-Martinez, a Colombian national, was arrested in August over her previous conviction for Driving Under the Influence and illegal presence in the United States, according to ICE.
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security confirmed the deportation of the 24-year-old TikTok influencer. Mafla-Martinez, posting on as tatianamartinez_02, had more than 48,000 followers on the platform. Mafla-Martinez’s social media activity included postings about personal information and multiple posts alerting followers about ICE raids in Los Angeles and other parts of California.
“You bet we did,” DHS officials posted on X.
As reported by Breitbart News, ICE arrested Mafla-Martinez on August 15 while she was streaming live on the platform. Her arrest was captured on video and widely circulated on social media. The video of her being arrested shows the influencer screaming at ICE agents in Spanish from within her Tesla.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin commented on the arrest at the time, saying, “On August 15, ICE arrested Leidy Tatiana Mafla-Martinez, a criminal illegal alien from Colombia who was convicted for driving under the influence in Los Angeles.”
In a social media post on X (formerly Twitter), McLaughlin added, “This criminal illegal alien entered the country in 2022 and was RELEASED by the Biden administration,” she added. According to McLaughlin, Mafla Martinez claimed to have experienced shortness of breath during the arrest and was provided medical attention at the time.
During her arrest, an illegal alien tow-truck driver was arrested after he allegedly towed off an ICE patrol vehicle being used in the arrest of the influencer, Breitbart Texas reported.
In her social media post, McLaughlin described the chaotic scene surrounding Mafla-Martinez’s arrest that also involved the unlawful towing and theft of an ICE government vehicle used during the arrest. The suspect involved in the theft of the patrol vehicle was identified as Bobby Nunez.
Nunez was arrested in early September and is now facing a charge of theft of government property. According to United States Attorney Bill Essalyi, Nunez faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted on the charges.
Mafla-Martinez was represented in her unsuccessful deportation case by immigration attorney Carlos Jurado of The Jurado Firm based in Long Beach. Jurado believed Mafla-Martinez was targeted specifically for her online activities, telling ABC7 Eyewitness News at the time, “We believe, at this point, based on things that have been said to her, is that, because she was out filming ICE activities, she was targeted.”
Until her removal last week, Mafla-Martinez had been detained in an ICE facility in Southern California.
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.
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