Trump’s DHS Executes Surprise LA Immigration Raid, Arresting 16 Linked to MS-13 Stronghold
Federal immigration enforcement returned to the streets of Los Angeles in dramatic fashion on Wednesday morning, as the Department of Homeland Security carried out a surprise operation targeting undocumented immigrants with alleged ties to MS-13 gang activity. Sixteen individuals were taken into custody during the raid, marking one of the boldest immigration crackdowns in the city since President Trump’s return to office.
The operation, code-named Operation Trojan Horse, began just after 7 a.m. near the Home Depot on Wilshire Boulevard by MacArthur Park — a neighborhood federal agents describe as an epicenter of gang dominance. The location was the same staging ground as a major June sweep that drew national headlines.
Video obtained by Fox News LA captured the moment agents sprang into action: a DHS team burst from the rear of a Penske rental truck, sprinting toward a cluster of people gathered near a street food stand. Within seconds, the crowd scattered as agents closed in.
According to DHS, those detained originated from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Officials did not immediately release information about individual criminal records but stressed that the area has been under “a known MS-13 chokehold,” warranting an aggressive federal presence.
Penske Truck Rental, whose vehicle was used as part of the operation, quickly sought to distance itself from the tactic, issuing a statement that it “strictly prohibits” transporting people in the cargo areas of its trucks and was not aware DHS planned to deploy one in that way. The company vowed to “reinforce its policy” with the agency to prevent what it called “improper use” in the future.
The raid took place despite a legal climate that has recently grown more hostile to aggressive immigration enforcement. Just last month, a Biden-appointed federal judge issued a ruling restricting warrantless detentions and criticizing DHS for allegedly relying on ethnicity and occupation to select targets. The same ruling mandated immediate access to legal counsel for detainees — a change that immigration hawks argue is designed to slow or block deportations.
The Justice Department appealed the decision, but the 9th Circuit refused to stay the order. The case is expected to eventually reach the U.S. Supreme Court. Still, the ruling did not stop Wednesday’s operation from going forward.
U.S. Attorney for Los Angeles Bill Essayli celebrated the move in a post on X, writing:
“For those who thought immigration enforcement had stopped in Southern California, think again. The enforcement of federal law is not negotiable, and there are no sanctuaries from the reach of the federal government.”
The crackdown follows a June 6 sweep in the same neighborhood that saw roughly 100 federal agents fan out across seven LA locations. That earlier action triggered a heated confrontation when Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass personally confronted agents at the MacArthur Park site.
“They need to leave, and they need to leave right now,” Bass shouted at the time, condemning the raids as “unacceptable.”
By evening, the June raids had sparked mass protests. Demonstrators blocked streets, and some turned violent, forcing the Los Angeles Police Department to declare an unlawful assembly and issue a citywide tactical alert.
SkyFOX aerial footage showed skirmish lines of LAPD officers in riot gear guarding the Royal Federal Building downtown as protesters hurled objects and advanced. Tear gas and pepper spray were deployed after some demonstrators smashed concrete, spray-painted “F*** ICE” across city property, and threw debris at officers.
With Trump’s DHS making clear that sanctuary city protections will no longer shield undocumented migrants, Wednesday’s operation sends an unmistakable message: federal immigration enforcement is back — and neither activist mayors, street protests, nor court challenges will stand in the way.