FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino has announced a major arrest in a case involving rock attacks against federal immigration authorities that left one agent wounded.Bongino and other federal officials said a Compton man accused of throwing concrete blocks at federal officers in Paramount in June was taken into custody Wednesday morning at the U.S.-Mexico border.Elpidio Reyna, 39, of Compton, was arrested at the San Ysidro Port of Entry by FBI agents, with assistance from U.S. Customs & Border Protection, Fox11 reported.
Reyna was wanted in connection with an alleged assault on a federal officer in Paramount on June 7. According to the FBI, Border Patrol had established a staging area when protesters confronted them. The situation escalated as agitators began hurling concrete blocks and glass bottles at authorities, prompting agents to respond with tear gas, the outlet noted.Video obtained by Fox shows Border Patrol agents withdrawing from the chaotic scene Saturday as their vehicle was pelted with rocks.
“You may remember Elpidio Reyna, a subject who allegedly threw rocks at federal officers during immigration operations in California June 7,” Bongino wrote on his official FBI X account. “We got him. He was arrested today at the U.S.-Mexico border.”He added: “More to come. Those who attack America’s police officers can run but they can’t hide.”
“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,” U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli noted on the X platform.
“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,” he added.
“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,” he noted.
FBI agents had identified Reyna in early June shortly after he allegedly attacked federal officers but discovered he had fled to his native Mexico. His likeness was publicized widely in the areas of southern California and in Mexico as well.
He was eventually arrested by Mexican authorities in the state of Sinaloa. “Following negotiations, Reyna agreed to surrender to the FBI. He was taken into custody at the San Ysidro Port of Entry and transported to Los Angeles for an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate,” FOX11 reported.
Violent, fiery riots broke out across Los Angeles for several days following ICE operations in the area. In response, the Trump administration deployed 700 Marines and federalized approximately 4,000 National Guard troops to restore order—drawing sharp criticism from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and other Democrats, who called the move unnecessary and unlawful.
Newsom filed suit against the Trump administration, arguing that the deployment of California National Guard troops over his objections likely violated the Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts the use of military forces for domestic law enforcement.
“The governor won an early victory in the case after a federal judge ruled the Guard deployment was illegal and exceeded Trump’s authority. An appeals court tossed that order, and control of the troops remained with the federal government,” Fox News reported.
