DHS Launches Surprise Immigration Raid in Los Angeles
16 Undocumented Immigrants Arrested in MS-13-Controlled Area
On Wednesday morning, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) carried out an unexpected immigration enforcement operation in Los Angeles. The raid, namedย โOperation Trojan Horse,โ began around 7 a.m. near a Home Depot on Wilshire Boulevard by MacArthur Park โ the same location that drew national attention during a sweep in June.
Federal agents emerged from aย Penske moving truckย and swiftly advanced toward a group gathered near a street food vendor. The crowd scattered as the agents approached.
According to DHS,ย 16 undocumented immigrants from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, and Nicaragua were detained. While details about their criminal records or immigration status remain undisclosed, officials stressed the public safety risk in the area.
โThis area has a recognized MS-13 stronghold,โ a DHS spokesperson toldย Fox News.
Penske Responds: โNo Prior Knowledgeโ
Penske Truck Rental quickly distanced itself from the raid. The company stated itย strictly prohibitsย transporting individuals in the cargo area of its trucks and wasย unawareย of DHS using its vehicle.
โPenske will contact DHS and reiterate its policy to prevent the improper use of its vehicles in the future,โ the company added.
Legal Challenges Fail to Halt Operation
Despite recent legal efforts from immigration advocates, the raid proceeded. A federal judgeโs ruling last month temporarily restrictedย warrantless detentionsย and criticized DHS for targeting people based on ethnicity or occupation rather than legal grounds. The judge also ordered that detainees be grantedย access to legal counselย โ a move seen as a check on federal authority.
Although theย Biden Justice Departmentย challenged the ruling, the 9th Circuit declined to pause it. The case is expected to reach theย U.S. Supreme Court.
Federal Officials Stand by the Raid
The legal resistance didnโt stop DHS from moving forward.ย U.S. Attorney for Los Angeles Bill Essayliย defended the action on X (formerly Twitter):
โFor those who believed that immigration enforcement had ceased in Southern California, reconsider. The enforcement of federal law is non-negotiable, and there are no safe havens from the authority of the federal government.โ
Raid Rekindles Tensions in LA
This latest operation follows aย June 6 raidย at the same location involving nearly 100 federal agents. Several arrests promptedย Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bassย to confront DHS agents directly.
โThey must depart, and they must do so immediately. Their presence is unacceptable,โ she shouted at them.
That same day, coordinated sweeps took place acrossย seven LA locations, sparking protests by evening. As some demonstrators turned violent, the LAPD declared anย unlawful assemblyย and issued aย citywide tactical alert.
Footage fromย SkyFOXย showed LAPD officers in riot gear outside theย Royal Federal Buildingย downtown. Protesters threw objects and advanced toward the building. Some usedย hammers to break concrete, while others spray-painted anti-ICE slogans.
The LAPD later reported that protesters hurledย chunks of concreteย at officers as tensions escalated.
DHS: Enforcement Will Continue
Withย President Trump back in officeย and reaffirming a hardline stance on sanctuary cities, DHS has made its position clear:ย immigration enforcement is back.
โNo city, no activist mayor, and no protest group will stop this mission,โ a DHS official said.