A California man could face decades in prison for allegedly injuring a Border Patrol agent during a violent immigration enforcement protest in June.
If convicted, Terrazas faces up to 20 years behind bars in a federal lock-up, the Daily Caller reported.
The indictment is expected to be one of many following a wave of violent anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) riots that swept through the Los Angeles area in June, amid a nationwide increase in assaults on immigration agents.
“After repeatedly throwing pieces of cinderblock at law enforcement, officers detained Terrazas, who now faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted,” Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli said in a public statement.
“We will not stand by while our brave officers get hurt,” Essayli continued. “If you’re thinking of injuring an officer or agent enforcing immigration law, think again. It’s not worth it.”
According to the DOJ, Terrazas was among several rioters who allegedly hurled hard objects—such as rocks and cinderblocks—at federal agents during a violent June 7 protest near an ICE facility in Paramount. He is accused of using a makeshift shield and nearby trees for cover while repeatedly charging at agents to throw chunks of cinderblock.
One piece allegedly thrown by Terrazas struck a Border Patrol agent in the left shin, causing bleeding and temporarily forcing the agent off the frontlines. Another agent was struck by rocks during the unrest but was not injured.
“Terrazas – who wore a dark beanie and black mask covering the lower half of his face – and other individuals threw rocks at Border Patrol agents for approximately three hours,” the DOJ announcement stated.
“Law enforcement used less-lethal force pepper bells against Terrazas and other rock throwers. Eventually, law enforcement detained, identified, and arrested Terrazas,” the announcement continued.
Essayli posted a video of the June 7 melee on social media.
The indictment follows massive anti-ICE riots that swept through Los Angeles and spread nationwide, the Daily Caller added.
According to the agency, in early June, more than 1,000 rioters in Los Angeles surrounded an ICE facility, attacked deportation officers, slashed tires, and vandalized government property. Press footage showed rioters blocking traffic, defacing public spaces, setting vehicles on fire, and waving the flags of various foreign nations.
Damage from the Los Angeles riots alone has been estimated at well over $30 million.
At the time, the Trump administration reported that assaults on ICE law enforcement had surged by 830%. On Thursday, officials said that figure has now risen to 1,000%.
The Department of Justice has made multiple arrests in recent weeks amid a surge in attacks on ICE and other federal agents.
Last week, Gregory K. Bovino, Commander of Operation At Large California and Chief of the El Centro Border Patrol Sector, announced that agents had executed an arrest warrant for a suspect accused of assaulting federal officers during immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles.
In a video posted to X, members of the Border Patrol’s elite BORTAC special operations unit are seen apprehending a suspect accused of spitting on agents during an immigration enforcement operation. At the time of his arrest, the individual was wearing an anti-ICE t-shirt.
“This U.S. citizen is accused of assaulting a federal agent by spitting on him during an immigration arrest under Operation at Large. Our agents swiftly served him a warrant in Los Angeles,” Bovino posted on X.
