Latest news with #AlejandroOrellana
Washington Post
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Man indicted for distributing face shields at L.A. immigration protest
A man accused of providing face shields to Los Angeles demonstrators protesting the Trump administration's immigration raids pleaded not guilty Thursday to a charge of conspiracy to aid and abet civil disorders. A federal grand jury indicted Alejandro Orellana, 29, on Wednesday, according to court documents. On June 9 — a day after hundreds of National Guard troops dispatched by President Donald Trump arrived in Los Angeles to quell demonstrations — Orellana drove his black Ford F-150 into the city with the bed full of white boxes containing face shields, according to federal prosecutors.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
L.A. activist indicted after handing out face shields to anti-ICE protesters
A local activist who handed out protective face shields to protesters last month during demonstrations against the Trump administration's chaotic immigration raids was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday. Alejandro Orellana, a 29-year-old member of the Boyle Heights-based community organization Centro CSO, faces charges of conspiracy and aiding and abetting civil disorder, court records show. According to the indictment, Orellana and at least two others drove around downtown L.A. in a pickup truck distributing Uvex Bionic face shields and other items to a crowd engaged in a protest near the federal building on Los Angeles Street on June 9. Prosecutors allege Orellana was helping protesters withstand less-lethal munitions being deployed by Los Angeles police officers and Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies after an unlawful assembly had been declared. Orellana is due in court on Thursday morning. An e-mail to his federal public defender seeking comment was not immediately returned. U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli, a former California Assemblyman appointed by President Trump, has promised to aggressively prosecute anyone who interferes with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations or harms police during protests. Federal prosecutors have brought at least 23 cases related to last month's demonstrations, and Essayli promised more people will be charged, according to a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office. At least one of those cases has been dismissed, and some have been refiled as misdemeanors, records show. Asked how handing out defensive equipment was a crime during a news conference last month, Essayli insisted Orellana was specifically handing out supplies to violent demonstrators. "He wasn't handing masks out at the beach. ... They're covering their faces. They're wearing backpacks. These weren't peaceful protesters," he said. "They weren't holding up signs, with a political message. They came to do violence." Essayli described anyone who remained at a protest scene after an unlawful assembly was declared as a "rioter" and said peaceful protesters "don't need a face shield." Orellana, who works for United Parcel Service, has no criminal record and previously served in the U.S. Marines, according to Carlos Montes, a fellow member of Centro CSO. Montes said he believes Essayli is specifically targeting Centro CSO for its pro-immigrant activism, noting FBI agents seized another member's cellphone last week as part of their investigation into Orellana. 'It's ridiculous charges. We're demanding they drop the charges now. They're insignificant, ridiculous," Montes said. "The most it amounts to is that he was passing out personal protective equipment, which includes boxes of water, hand sanitizer and snacks.' A spokesperson for the U.S. Marine Corps did not immediately respond to a request for Orellana's service record. Montes also challenged Essayli's argument that peaceful protesters have no need for protective equipment, pointing to myriad instances in which people have been seriously injured by Los Angeles police and county sheriff's deputies in recent years. A Times investigation last month highlighted incidents in which protesters allege Los Angeles Police Department officers fired rubber rounds and other crowd control munitions without warning in recent weeks, causing demonstrators and members of the media to suffer broken bones, concussions and other forms of severe harm. Times staff writer Brittny Mejia contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
New York Post
03-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Anti-ICE LA riot leader filmed handing out gear to protesters indicted on conspiracy charges by DOJ
The Department of Justice has formally indicted a man who went viral for apparently handing out riot gear from the back of a truck during the recent anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles. Alejandro Orellana, 29, is charged with conspiracy to aid and abet civil disorders, according to the charging document obtained by FOX News. Prosecutors say Orellana and his posse loaded up a pickup truck with Uvex brand Bionic Face Shields, masks, water bottles and other supplies, which they distributed to protesters demonstrating against Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on June 9. Video footage allegedly showing Orlellana handing out the swag from the truck bed went viral, eventually leading to his identification by the FBI. Agents later raided the house where Orleallana was living with his parents and arrested him. 6 Alejandro Orellana was arrested by FBI agents after he was filmed handing out riot gear to anti-ICE protesters in LA. USAttyEssayli/X 6 Potential outside agitators are seen handing out PPE face shields and water to protesters on June 9. FOX11 6 One of the Uvex Bionic Shield masks that were allegedly supplied to the agitators. FOX11 Orellana, a US Marine veteran, is a UPS worker and a shop steward for the Teamsters Union who has been active for years in fighting for social justice causes — including with Centro CSO, which is named as an homage to labor leader and activist Cesar Chavez, according to social media posts. Centro CSO has protests calling for the charges to be dropped planned for throughout Los Angeles on Thursday and Saturday. 'An attack on one of us, is an attack on the people's movement!' its slogan reads. 6 LA Sheriff deputies seen in clouds of tear gas in Los Angeles last month. REUTERS 6 Demonstrators march in LA during a protest against President Trump's policies and immigration sweeps on June 14. REUTERS 6 Orellana at a 2024 event with Centro CSO, which is named in homage to labor leader and activist Cesar Chavez. centrocso/Tiktok Orellana's father, Francisco, said he joined the supply run at the request of friends but didn't know what he was doing was illegal. 'I saw the picture [of Alejandro in the truck], which my sister-in-law sent to my wife. I said, 'What the f–k are you doing? Why are you doing that?'' Francisco told The Post shortly after his son's arrest. The DOJ recently charged two other LA County residents for allegedly possessing Molotov cocktail bombs during the protests The Department also charged a Texas man for buying fireworks he allegedly meant to use against law enforcement in LA. Locally, the LA District Attorney has charged more than 40 people with protest-related crimes, including a batch of eight new indictments announced on Tuesday.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Yahoo
DOJ indicts suspect who went viral for delivering protective gear to anti-ICE protesters on live TV
A man who went viral after he was captured on live TV allegedly dropping off a pickup truck full of face shields for protesters to use amid demonstrations and riots in Los Angeles last month was indicted Wednesday. Alejandro Orellana, 29, is charged with conspiracy to aid and abet civil disorders. La Officials Charge Over 40 Anti-ice Protesters Who Allegedly Assaulted Officers, Horses And Threatened Child Federal prosecutors said Orellana met up with other people on June 9 to load up his Ford F-150 pickup truck with Uvex brand Bionic Face Shields, masks, water bottles and other items as anti-ICE protests raged in Los Angeles. He then drove the truck to a crowd of protesters and distributed the items, the Justice Department said. "We have made it a huge priority to try to identify, locate and arrest those who are involved in organizing, supporting, funding or facilitating these riots," U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli told Fox News at the time of Orellana's arrest. Read On The Fox News App La Anti-ice Rioters Face New Charges As Violence Rages "It appears they're well-orchestrated and coordinated and well-funded, so we want to understand who these people are and where this organization's coming from, and today was one of those first arrests, the key arrests that we did," he added. A group Orellana is allegedly associated with, CENTRO CSO, is raising funds for his legal defense and is planning a protest on Thursday to demand the charges against him are dropped. "Orellana is facing 5 years for protesting ICE Raids, Protesting is Not a Crime! Alejandro did nothing wrong!" the group wrote on Instagram. Locally, more than 40 people have been charged with offenses stemming from violent riots against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) efforts last month. The charges came after protests and riots erupted in and around Los Angeles amid the Trump administration's mass deportation operations targeting criminal illegal article source: DOJ indicts suspect who went viral for delivering protective gear to anti-ICE protesters on live TV
Fox News
02-07-2025
- Fox News
DOJ indicts suspect who went viral for delivering protective gear to anti-ICE protesters on live TV
A man who went viral after he was captured on live TV allegedly dropping off a pickup truck full of face shields for protesters to use amid demonstrations and riots in Los Angeles last month was indicted Wednesday. Alejandro Orellana, 29, is charged with conspiracy to aid and abet civil disorders. Federal prosecutors said Orellana met up with other people on June 9 to load up his Ford F-150 pickup truck with Uvex brand Bionic Face Shields, masks, water bottles and other items as anti-ICE protests raged in Los Angeles. He then drove the truck to a crowd of protesters and distributed the items, the Justice Department said. "We have made it a huge priority to try to identify, locate and arrest those who are involved in organizing, supporting, funding or facilitating these riots," U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli told Fox News at the time of Orellana's arrest. "It appears they're well-orchestrated and coordinated and well-funded, so we want to understand who these people are and where this organization's coming from, and today was one of those first arrests, the key arrests that we did," he added. A group Orellana is allegedly associated with, CENTRO CSO, is raising funds for his legal defense and is planning a protest on Thursday to demand the charges against him are dropped. "Orellana is facing 5 years for protesting ICE Raids, Protesting is Not a Crime! Alejandro did nothing wrong!" the group wrote on Instagram. Locally, more than 40 people have been charged with offenses stemming from violent riots against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) efforts last month. The charges came after protests and riots erupted in and around Los Angeles amid the Trump administration's mass deportation operations targeting criminal illegal immigrants.
