Two residents of South Los Angeles were arrested after they impeded immigration enforcement officials.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Gustavo Torres, 28, and Kiara Jaime-Flores, 34, “allegedly pulled in front of one of the government vehicles and blocked its pathway at the intersection.”
“The defendants also drove westbound on 61st Street in an opposing lane, passing another two government vehicles,” the DOJ explained. “The defendants allegedly pulled in front of one of the vehicles and slammed on the brakes, which the agents believed was an attempt to cause a collision.”
“These defendants are charged with knowingly and recklessly putting federal agents’ lives in danger,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Anyone who deliberately gets in the way of immigration officers doing their job will face criminal prosecution and the prospect of doing time in a federal prison cell.”
If convicted, the California residents would each face up to six years in federal prison.
“We thought that it’d be a good idea,” Torres said, according to court documents. “If it was immigration, they were taking someone’s family member unjustified. Well, me and my girlfriend, the first instinct was, well, to block the cars.”
Immigration advocate Ron Gochez told CBS News that the arrests are a form of intimidation.
“We know that throughout the history of this country anyone that has stood up for racial justice, social justice has been a target,” Gochez said. “We do not impede. We do not obstruct. We do everything legally but its not above the Trump administration to lie.”
