LOS ANGELES () Two Southern California men face federal charges for allegedly possessing Molotov cocktails during recent anti-ICE protests in downtown Los Angeles, the U.S. Department of Justice announced.
Emiliano Garduno Galvez, 23, of Paramount, and Wrackkie Quiogue, 27, of Long Beach, were charged with possession of an unregistered destructive device, which carries the possibility of 10 years in federal prison.
Quiogue was ordered detained on Tuesday at his initial court appearance. Galvez is expected to make their initial appearance in United States District Court “in the coming days,” according to a news release from the Justice Department.
“When protesting crosses the line into violence, the penalties will be severe,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “Possessing a Molotov cocktail or another destructive device is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison. The vile attacks, such as the ones alleged in these complaints, could have resulted in life-altering or life-ending injuries to police officers, sheriff’s deputies, and innocent bystanders. We will not relent in dispensing swift justice to criminals who take advantage of our country’s freedoms to engage in lawlessness.”
Separately, two people were charged with assault on a federal officer, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in federal prison, stemming from violence at recent rallies in Santa Ana, according to the Justice Department.
The protests began Friday after federal immigration raids arrested dozens of workers in Los Angeles. Protesters blocked a major freeway and set cars on fire over the weekend, and police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades.
Thousands of people have peacefully rallied outside City Hall, and hundreds more protested outside a federal complex that includes a detention center where some immigrants are being held following workplace raids.
Hundreds were arrested Tuesday as thousands of National Guard troops were standing by at Trump’s behest.
The majority of arrests since the protests began have been for failing to disperse.
