Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing backlash after promoting a now-debunked illegal immigrant hoax involving a false kidnapping claim by a Mexican national. Federal prosecutors say the incident was orchestrated to stir outrage and raise funds.
Bass claimed on July 1 that Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, a 41-year-old illegal alien, had been abducted by ICE agents in a Jack in the Box parking lot. “No hearing. Just fear,” Bass posted. However, the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles announced this week that “this entire story was fabricated.”
Surveillance video contradicted the account. Calderon was seen calmly leaving the parking lot in a sedan. Prosecutors said she staged photos of her alleged rescue and intended to use them at a press conference to increase donations. “Telephone records demonstrate Calderon fabricated the entire story,” the complaint reads.
Calderon, a known activist with the leftist Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment, now faces federal charges for conspiracy and lying to investigators. She is currently in immigration custody.
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli called out the narrative pushed by Bass: “Dangerous rhetoric that ICE agents are ‘kidnapping’ illegal immigrants is being recklessly peddled by politicians and echoed in the media to inflame the public and discredit our courageous federal agents.”
Despite the revelation, Bass has not retracted her statement or responded to media requests. Her continued defense of illegal immigrants and opposition to law enforcement have drawn sharp criticism, especially in light of her recent interference during a DHS raid targeting MS-13 gang members.
