In Los Angeles on Tuesday, a U.S. Marshal and an undocumented immigrant were both injured by gunfire during an immigration enforcement operation, according to information obtained by Fox News.
The incident unfolded when federal agents cornered a vehicle, attempting to detain its occupant. The driver allegedly attempted to flee by crashing into the federal agents’ vehicles, as reported by sources from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the Department of Homeland Security described the situation: “During a targeted enforcement traffic stop in the Los Angeles area, an undocumented individual—who had previously escaped from custody—made another attempt to evade arrest.”
Federal agents responded by discharging their weapons. A U.S. Marshal was hit in the hand, possibly by a bullet ricochet, according to initial reports from the scene.
The location where the shooting involving a U.S. Marshal and an undocumented immigrant took place on Tuesday in Los Angeles. (KTTV)
The suspect, identified as 44-year-old Carlitos Ricardo Parias from Mexico, was injured in the elbow, as revealed by Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli in an online post.
The ICE agent and Parias were both taken to a hospital and were expected to survive. Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Marshals Service, ICE and the Los Angeles Police Department.
Protesters were seen shouting at hospital staffers as the U.S. Marshal and suspected illegal immigrant were being treated for their injuries.
The FBI is investigating the shooting, and Essayli said Parias has been charged in a criminal complaint with assault on a federal officer and is expected to make his initial court appearance Wednesday at the Roybal Federal Building.
Essayli alleges Parias used a Toyota Camry to strike law enforcement vehicles in front of and behind him, spinning his tires and fishtailing in an attempt to escape, prompting concerns for officer safety.
“Vehicles are deadly weapons,” Essayli wrote. “Anyone who uses them against federal agents risks arrest, imprisonment, and life-threatening injuries.
“We will continue to use every tool in our legal arsenal to protect our agents and enforce immigration laws passed by Congress.”
Tuesday’s shooting came amid heavy criticism from Los Angeles elected officials over the Trump administration’s immigration raids in the region.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has called for a congressional investigation into the alleged unlawful detention of U.S. citizens and immigrants by federal agents.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin blamed officials in sanctuary jurisdictions for brazen attacks against immigration authorities in recent months.
“These are the consequences of conduct and rhetoric by sanctuary politicians and activists who urge illegal aliens to resist arrest. Resisting arrest puts the safety of illegal aliens, law enforcement, and the public at risk,” she said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Our law enforcement officers are facing a more than 1000% increase in assaults against them including vehicle rammings by illegal aliens. We are once again calling on sanctuary politicians, agitators, and the media to turn the temperature down and stop calling for violence and resistance against ICE law enforcement.”
Last week, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors declared a state of emergency because of the raids, saying the federal operations have caused fear and have forced businesses to shut down.
DHS has blamed officials in sanctuary jurisdictions for brazen attacks against immigration authorities in recent months.
At a Monday news conference, Bass said that around 170 U.S. citizens have been detained across the country.
U.S. Repo. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., demanded that all records and documents related to the detentions be turned over. In September, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the immigration raids could resume after a brief pause.
“This decision is a victory for the safety of Americans in California and for the rule of law,” the Department of Homeland Security said at the time. DHS will continue to arrest and remove the criminal illegal aliens that @mayorofla is protecting.”
McLaughlin called out several officials, including Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom, for hosting webinars and providing resources and tips for how to openly defy ICE.
