Latest news with #CentroCSO
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Immigrant justice advocates say FBI is targeting LA protest organizers
Verita Topete said she was walking her dog alone one afternoon in late June at Los Angeles' Ernest E. Debs Park. As she was putting her dog in her car to leave, she said multiple FBI agents approached her. They presented her with a search warrant for her phone, yanked it from her hand with such force she said she was left with bruises. Then she was arrested and temporarily detained. She is not facing charges. But Topete says she believes she was targeted because of her role helping organizations protest against immigration raids in Los Angeles. Topete, a leader of the immigration committee at Centro CSO, which has been advocating for Chicano and immigrant rights for decades, has been mobilizing residents in Los Angeles against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids that started on June 6. She has been involved in fighting for immigrant justice since 2020, when her father was arrested and detained in Southern California's Adelanto ICE Processing Center. Topete and other advocates at Centro CSO say she was targeted for her activism and role in the protests against Trump's mass deportation agenda. 'This is how we treat Americans who are exercising their First Amendment rights simply for standing up for those who cannot,' Topete said in a news conference the day after she was detained. She is not the only one advocates say is facing increased scrutiny following a role in protests in Los Angeles in June. Alejandro Orellana, also a member of Centro CSO, faces two federal charges for conspiracy to commit civil disorder and abetting civil disorder, with up to five years in prison for each charge. Orellana got on the FBI's radar following a video that circulated showing him driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck, where an unidentified woman distributed face shields from the truck, according to court records. On June 12, the FBI raided their house, where agents found face masks, spray paint, a slingshot and a notebook with anti-police slogans in the Ford pickup. They were also detained but released the following day after the East LA and Boyle Heights communities rallied for their release. The FBI argues those face shields aren't typically used by protesters and would help protect "agitators" from less lethal weapons deployed by the local police, according to the criminal complaint. On July 3, Orellana pleaded not guilty to the charges Advocates with Centro CSO are calling U.S. Attorney Bilal Essayli in the Central District of California to drop the charges against Orellana. The U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment. A spokesperson with the FBI said the agency 'investigates federal crimes and threats to the national security. We will never open an investigation based solely on First Amendment protected activity.' But that's not how Topete sees it. "We are criminalized simply for not being willing to tolerate hate and injustice around us,' Topete said at the news conference. 'This is a clear attack of them trying to silence us, but we will not be silenced.' Carlos Montes, a longtime leader with Centro CSO, said the organization's events, including protests, have always been peaceful and organized. He called the FBI's actions toward protesters a 'witch hunt.' The FBI raided his house in 2011; the warrant said the investigation was for 'providing material information' to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. 'We see this as a direct attack on not just Centro CSO, but anybody who is fighting back against ICE raids, fighting back against the Trump agenda,' said Sol Marquez, a member of the immigration committee at Centro CSO. On June 27, following the day Topete was detained, advocates with Centro CSO and community members rallied at Ruben Salazar Park in East Los Angeles, chanting 'protesting is not a crime' and 'stop the FBI witch hunt.' They warned that 'when there is another uprising against police terror, activists in the street trying to change the system, the FBI is going to come knocking on their doors as well.' The movement to drop the charges and investigation of Orellana and Topete has drawn support from Black Lives Matter in Los Angeles. Baba Akili, a national field coordinator, said they are in solidarity with the immigrant population because 'if we don't stop this now, if we don't stand up now in solidarity, then we are next.' 'We have to stand in solidarity with Centro CSO because they have stood with us,' Akili said. Marquez said Centro CSO is not going to back down and will 'keep fighting back for our people no matter what happens.' 'Just like our ancestors, we are resilient, and these intimidation tactics will only fuel us to advocate harder and stronger for immigrant rights and to fight for our immigrant community,' Topete said. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Immigrant justice advocates say FBI is targeting protest organizers
USA Today
7 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Immigrant justice advocates say FBI is targeting LA protest organizers
Verita Topete said she was walking her dog alone one afternoon in late June at Los Angeles' Ernest E. Debs Park. As she was putting her dog in her car to leave, she said multiple FBI agents approached her. They presented her with a search warrant for her phone, yanked it from her hand with such force she said she was left with bruises. Then she was arrested and temporarily detained. She is not facing charges. But Topete says she believes she was targeted because of her role helping organizations protest against immigration raids in Los Angeles. Topete, a leader of the immigration committee at Centro CSO, which has been advocating for Chicano and immigrant rights for decades, has been mobilizing residents in Los Angeles against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids that started on June 6. She has been involved in fighting for immigrant justice since 2020, when her father was arrested and detained in Southern California's Adelanto ICE Processing Center. Topete and other advocates at Centro CSO say she was targeted for her activism and role in the protests against Trump's mass deportation agenda. 'This is how we treat Americans who are exercising their First Amendment rights simply for standing up for those who cannot,' Topete said in a news conference the day after she was detained. She is not the only one advocates say is facing increased scrutiny following a role in protests in Los Angeles in June. Alejandro Orellana, also a member of Centro CSO, faces two federal charges for conspiracy to commit civil disorder and abetting civil disorder with up to five years in prison for each charge. Orellana got on the FBI's radar following video that circulated showing him driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck where an unidentified woman distributed face shields from the truck, according to court records. On June 12, the FBI raided their house, where agents found face masks, spray paint, a slingshot and a notebook with anti-police slogans in the Ford pickup. They were also detained but released the following day after the East LA and Boyle Heights community rallied for their release. The FBI argues those face shields aren't typically used by protesters and would help protect "agitators" from less lethal weapons deployed by the local police, according to the criminal complaint. On July 3, Orellana pleaded not guilty to the charges Advocates with Centro CSO are calling U.S. Attorney Bilal Essayli in the Central District of California to drop the charges against Orellana. The U.S. Attorney's Office declined to comment. A spokesperson with the FBI said the agency 'investigates federal crimes and threats to the national security. We will never open an investigation based solely on First Amendment protected activity.' But that's not how Topete sees it. "We are criminalized simply for not being willing to tolerate hate and injustice around us,' Topete said at the news conference. 'This is a clear attack of them trying to silence us, but we will not be silenced.' Carlos Montes, a longtime leader with Centro CSO, said the organization's events, including protests, have always been peaceful and organized. He called the FBI's actions toward protesters a 'witch hunt.' The FBI raided his house in 2011; the warrant said the investigation was for 'providing material information' to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the FARC. 'We see this as a direct attack on not just Centro CSO, but anybody who is fighting back against ICE raids, fighting back against the Trump agenda,' said Sol Marquez, a member of the immigration committee at Centro CSO. On June 27, following the day Topete was detained, advocates with Centro CSO and community members rallied at Ruben Salazar Park in East Los Angeles chanting 'protesting is not a crime' and 'stop the FBI witch hunt.' They warned that 'when there is another uprising against police terror, activists in the street trying to change the system, the FBI is going to come knocking on their doors as well.' The movement to drop the charges and investigation of Orellana and Topete has drawn support from Black Lives Matter in Los Angeles. Baba Akili, a national field coordinator, said they are in solidarity with the immigrant population because 'if we don't stop this now, if we don't stand up now in solidarity, then we are next.' 'We have to stand in solidarity with Centro CSO, because they have stood with us,' Akili said. Marquez said Centro CSO is not going to back down and will 'keep fighting back for our people no matter what happens.' 'Just like our ancestors, we are resilient, and these intimidation tactics will only fuel us to advocate harder and stronger for immigrant rights and to fight for our immigrant community,' Topete said.
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.
Los Angeles Times
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
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 immigration enforcement operations or harms police during protests. Federal prosecutors have brought at least 14 cases related to last month's demonstrations and Essayli promised more people will be charged. 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 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 where protesters allege LAPD 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.
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.
