PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Los Angeles, California, resulted in over 300 arrests of illegal aliens, including people convicted of violent and sexual crimes.
👥 Who’s Involved: ICE enforcement teams, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials, and migrants with criminal records.
📍 Where & When: Los Angeles, California; arrests conducted between June 9-12, 2025.
💬 Key Quote: “Murderers, pedophiles, and drug traffickers—these are the types of criminal illegal aliens that rioters are fighting to protect,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
⚠️ Impact: The arrests highlight the Trump administration’s determination to enforce federal immigration laws amidst protests and riots opposing ICE arrests.
IN FULL:
Federal immigration authorities in Los Angeles, California, have arrested over 300 illegal aliens in a sweeping operation targeting individuals with serious criminal records. The arrests, carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) between June 9 and June 12, included individuals convicted of crimes such as murder, child sexual abuse, and drug trafficking.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin confirmed the details in a statement, emphasizing the severity of the crimes committed by those detained. “Murderers, pedophiles, and drug traffickers—these are the types of criminal illegal aliens that rioters are fighting to protect,” McLaughlin stated, referencing ongoing protests by migrants and leftist groups opposing ICE operations in the area.
Among those arrested were Gerardo Antonio-Palacios, a previously deported Mexican national with convictions for homicide and burglary; Mab Khleb, a Cambodian national convicted of lewd acts with a child and drug-related offenses; Sang Louangprasert, a Laotian national with prior convictions for child sexual abuse and domestic violence; and Antonio Benitez-Ugarte, a Mexican national with a conviction for drug trafficking.
ICE teams also apprehended additional suspects with pending charges, including a Mexican national in Baldwin Park accused of rape, assault with a deadly weapon, and causing great bodily injury.
McLaughlin criticized California’s leadership, questioning Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for what she described as prioritizing criminal illegal aliens over the safety of their citizens. “How much longer will Governor Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass continue to prioritize these criminal illegal aliens over their own citizens?” she asked.
The operation underscores the federal government’s commitment to enforcing immigration laws despite far-left opposition. “Secretary [Kristi] Noem has a message to the LA rioters: you will not stop us or slow us down. ICE will continue to enforce the law and arrest criminal illegal aliens,” McLaughlin declared.