In a recent series of operations conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles, over 100 migrants were apprehended, including several individuals with significant criminal backgrounds.
The actions, which unfolded over the past week, have sparked considerable controversy and public outcry.
On a single day, Friday, ICE agents detained nearly 45 individuals at various sites throughout the city, including two Home Depot locations, as reported by Fox News. The enforcement efforts prompted widespread demonstrations over the weekend, with anti-ICE activists rallying to voice their opposition to the operations. According to The Post Millennial, the arrests included Roland Veneracion-Enriquez, a 55-year-old Philippine national with a violent criminal history in California.
Veneracion-Enriquez had previously served a four-year sentence for burglary and was later sentenced to 37 years for sexual penetration with a foreign object by force and assault with intent to commit rape.
Another notable arrest was that of Jose Gregorio Medranda Ortiz, a 42-year-old Ecuadorian national who had been sentenced to 11 years for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. ICE also detained Armando Ordaz, a Mexican national with a record of sexual battery and alleged gang ties in Los Angeles.
Victor Mendoza-Aguilar, another Mexican national and purported active gang member, was apprehended for past offenses, including assault with a deadly weapon and obstructing a public officer.
Additionally, Lionel Sanchez-Laguna, also from Mexico, was arrested on Tuesday. His criminal record includes discharging a firearm at an inhabited dwelling, battery on a spouse or cohabitant, willful cruelty to a child, DUI, and multiple jail terms for assault and firearm-related crimes.
The ICE operations have drawn sharp criticism from local officials, with Mayor Karen Bass denouncing the actions, asserting that Los Angeles "will not stand for what she described as terror tactics from ICE. The weekend saw violent unrest in response to the raids, with protesters clashing with authorities and setting fires. In response to the escalating situation,
President Trump signed a memorandum on Saturday, authorizing the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles to restore order amid the protests and rioting that ensued following the immigration arrests.
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