❓WHAT HAPPENED: A man accused of throwing concrete blocks at law enforcement during immigration enforcement operations was arrested.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Elpidio Reyna, 39, law enforcement officers, and U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Incident occurred on June 7 in Paramount, California; arrest took place at the San Ysidro port of entry on Wednesday.
💬KEY QUOTE: “To anyone who thinks they can attack federal officers and hide behind a mask or helmet, Reyna’s arrest today proves we can find and charge anyone who violates federal law.” – Bill Essayli
🎯IMPACT: Reyna faces up to eight years in federal prison if convicted, highlighting federal efforts to prosecute attacks against law enforcement.
Elpidio Reyna, accused of hurling concrete blocks at law enforcement during immigration enforcement actions in Paramount, California, has been apprehended at the U.S. southern border. Reyna’s alleged criminal acts took place on June 7, and he was arrested on Wednesday, July 23, at the U.S.-Mexico frontier, according to Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Deputy Director Dan Bongino.
Bill Essayli, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, stated, “Elpidio Reyna surrendered today at the U.S.-Mexico border to face a felony charge of assault on a federal officer for throwing rocks at passing law enforcement vehicles in Paramount on June 7. He was taken into custody by a U.S. Border Patrol officer who was inside one of the vehicles damaged in the attack — a brave law enforcement officer who could have been killed in last month’s dangerous and reckless attack.”
“To anyone who thinks they can attack federal officers and hide behind a mask or helmet, Reyna’s arrest today proves we can find and charge anyone who violates federal law. Don’t touch our officers. Reyna will make his initial appearance in federal court this afternoon. He is presumed innocent until proven guilty,” Essayli added.
Video evidence allegedly shows Reyna throwing concrete blocks at law enforcement vehicles on Alondra Boulevard in Paramount, injuring a federal officer and damaging government property. After his arrest at the San Ysidro port of entry, Reyna was transported to Los Angeles. A conviction could lead to a maximum of eight years in federal prison.
In June, when Reyna was identified, Essayli announced, “WANTED: Elpidio Reyna can run, but he can’t hide. He threw rocks at federal officers leaving a command post in Paramount on Saturday, a brazen attack caught on film and that could have resulted in deaths.”
WANTED: Elpidio Reyna can run, but he can’t hide. He threw rocks at federal officers leaving a command post in Paramount on Saturday, a brazen attack caught on film and that could have resulted in deaths. Reyna, 40, is charged with assault on a federal officer, and faces up to… pic.twitter.com/YYgqRxo73a
— U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) June 10, 2025
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