Los Angeles’ rioters are not only trashing and looting their city, they are defending heinous illegal criminals at the expense of Americans’ safety elsewhere.
California’s sanctuary politicians and rioters continue to ignore the truth: ICE is enforcing federal immigration law and came to the community Friday to investigate immigration violations.
The protests erupted after federal agents arrested more than 40 people in workplace raids, including about two dozen employees from Ambiance Apparel in downtown LA’s Fashion District.
Local affiliate NBC4 News reported that U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli confirmed the FBI and other federal agencies served search warrants, which a judge signed, related to allegations that an employer was using fictitious documents for some of its workers.
ICE agents were also spotted at a Home Depot in Westlake Friday morning.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued press releases on Sunday and Monday listing some of those arrested since the riots began.
DHS also continues to post updates on X with more information about the criminal illegal aliens arrested in ICE’s Los Angeles Operation.
“Why do Governor Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass care more about violent murderers and sex offenders than they do about protecting their own citizens?” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
“These rioters in Los Angeles are fighting to keep rapists, murderers, and other violent criminals loose on Los Angeles streets. Instead of rioting, they should be thanking ICE officers every single day who wake up and make our communities safer.”
Some of those arrested include:
- Cuong Chanh Phan, a 49-year-old illegal alien from Vietnam. His criminal history includes a conviction for second degree murder and was sentenced to 15 years to life.
- Rolando Veneracion-Enriquez, a 55-year-old illegal alien from the Philippines. His criminal history includes burglary in Ontario, CA with a sentence of four years in prison, sexual penetration with a foreign object with force and assault with intent to commit rape in Pomona, CA with a sentence of 37 years in prison.
- Lionel Sanchez-Laguna, a 55-year-old illegal alien from Mexico. Sanchez-Laguna’s criminal history includes discharging a firearm at an inhabited dwelling and vehicle, battery on spouse or cohabitant, willful cruelty to child, driving under the influence, and assault with semi-automatic firearm.
- Francisco Sanchez-Arguello, a 38-year-old illegal alien from Mexico. Sanchez-Arguello’s criminal history that includes arrests for grand theft larceny and possession of a prohibited weapon.
- Jose Gregorio Medranda Ortiz, a 42-year-old illegal alien from Ecuador. Medranda Ortiz’s criminal history includes conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more cocaine while on board a vessel in Tampa, Fla.
- Delfino Aguilar-Martinez, a 51-year-old illegal alien from Mexico. Aguilar-Martinez’s criminal history includes assault with a deadly weapon with great bodily injury.
- Miguel Angel Palafox-Montes has criminal convictions for grand theft, narcotics violations, and identity theft. He has also been arrested for battery and burglary. Palafox-Montes has previously been voluntarily returned to Mexico twice.
- Dzhakhar Aslambekov, an illegal alien from Russia, was recently detained for fraud related to Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards used to access government assistance programs.
- Rafael Gamez-Sanchez, an illegal immigrant with a criminal conviction for vehicular manslaughter.
- Anastacio Enrique Solis-Salinas, a convicted criminal from Nicaragua. His criminal history includes convictions for domestic violence and hit and run. Additionally, he’s been arrested for willful cruelty to a child.
- Jesus Romero-Retana, a 52-year-old illegal alien from Mexico and a criminal history including convictions for threatening crime with intent to terrorize and battery.
- Russell Gomez-Dzul, a Mexican national illegally present in the United States, was arrested and will be initialed for assaulting a Federal Officer.
- Arturo Diaz-Perez, a Mexican national, was arrested for administrative immigration violations. Diaz has previous criminal convictions for narcotics violations and carrying a controlled weapon.
- Juan Antonio Flores-Felician, a previously deported Mexican national. Flores-Felician has previous criminal convictions for burglary, possession of stolen property and receiving stolen property.
- Felimon Alejo-Garcia, a Mexican national, was arrested for administrative immigration violations. Alejo-Garcia has a previous criminal conviction for driving under the influence.
- Diego Hernando Quinones-Alvarado, a Colombian national, was arrested for administrative immigration violations. Quinones-Alvarado has a previous criminal conviction for driving under the influence and was recently arrested for burglary.
- Julian Riveros-Cadavid, a Colombian national, was arrested for administrative immigration violations. Riveros-Cadavid has previous criminal arrests for domestic battery, child endangerment, assault with a deadly weapon, grand theft, and narcotics violations.
- Cielo Vivar-Ubaldo, a previously deported Mexican national, has previous criminal convictions for sex with a minor, narcotics violations and hit and run.
DHS also announced the arrest of Emiliano Garduno-Galvez—an illegal alien from Mexico—for attempted murder after he threw a Molotov cocktail at law enforcement during the Los Angeles riots. Garduno-Galvez had previously been deported.
He has a previous criminal record: In 2024, Garduno-Galvez was arrested by the Anaheim Police Department for grand theft and by the Long Beach Police Department for a DUI.
“These are the types of criminal illegal aliens that rioters are fighting to protect,” DHS wrote on X.
It’s not just protestors and leftist politicians defending criminals. The social media back-and-forth also escalated Wednesday, with McLaughlin firing back at Kim Kardashian in an X post:
“@KimKardashian, which one of these convicted child molesters, murderers, drug traffickers and rapists would you like to stay in the county? These are just a few of the convicted illegal criminals who have been picked up in the last 72 hours.”
.@KimKardashian, which one of these convicted child molesters, murderers, drug traffickers and rapists would you like to stay in the county?
These are just a few of the convicted illegal criminals who have been picked up in the last 72 hours. https://t.co/bauJUKbulk pic.twitter.com/VAtpNwHmeD
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) June 11, 2025
McLaughlin posted photos of those arrested by ICE:
- Eswin Uriel Castro, a previously deported illegal alien, has criminal convictions for child molestation and being armed with a dangerous weapon. He has also been arrested for robbery and domestic violence.
- Gerardo Antonio-Palacios, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, has criminal convictions for homicide and burglary. He was previously deported.
- Antonio Benitez-Ugarte, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, has been convicted of drug trafficking.
- Mab Khleb, a 53-year-old illegal immigrant from Cambodia, has criminal convictions for transport of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance, lewd action with a child and battery.
