As Immigration and Customs Enforcement carried out operations in Los Angeles over the past week, more than 100 illegal immigrants were arrested, including individuals with serious criminal histories.
On Friday alone, ICE agents arrested nearly 45 individuals at various locations across the city, including two Home Depot stores, according to Fox News. The enforcement actions triggered large-scale demonstrations over the weekend as anti-ICE activists gathered to protest the operations.
Among those arrested throughout the week was Roland Veneracion-Enriquez, 55, a Philippine national with a violent criminal record in California. He had previously been sentenced to four years for burglary and later received a 37-year prison sentence for sexual penetration with a foreign object by force and assault with intent to commit rape.
Another arrest involved Jose Gregorio Medranda Ortiz, 42, an Ecuadorian national who was given an 11-year prison sentence for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
ICE also arrested Armando Ordaz, a Mexican national with a history of sexual battery and alleged gang affiliation in Los Angeles. Victor Mendoza-Aguilar, another Mexican national and alleged active gang member, was taken into custody for past offenses, including assault with a deadly weapon and obstructing a public officer.
Additionally, Lionel Sanchez-Laguna of Mexico was arrested Tuesday. His criminal history includes discharging a firearm at an inhabited dwelling, battery on a spouse or cohabitant, willful cruelty to a child, DUI, and multiple jail sentences for assault and firearm-related offenses.
ICE’s enforcement campaign has drawn harsh criticism from city leaders. Mayor Karen Bass condemned the operation, stating that Los Angeles "will not stand for” what she claimed were “terror” tactics from ICE.
Over the weekend, Los Angeles saw violent rioting in response to the ICE raids, with protesters physically attacking authorities and setting fires. Due to escalating unrest, President Trump on Saturday signed a memorandum ordering the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles to maintain order amid the protests and rioting that followed the immigration arrests.
