A Los Angeles tow truck driver has been arrested after video showed a federal law enforcement vehicle being towed during an immigration enforcement operation that targeted a Colombian TikToker.
Bobby Nunez, 33, was charged with theft of government property in connection with the mid-August arrest captured on video outside a downtown Los Angeles apartment complex. Federal agents responded Aug. 15 to the residence to arrest 23-year-old Tatiana Mafla-Martinez, who was in the country illegally, federal authorities said.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in an earlier statement that Martinez was detained because of a previous conviction of driving under the influence in Los Angeles.
Using two government vehicles, agents blocked Mafla-Martinez’s Tesla near the exit of the apartment complex’s parking structure. Mafla-Martinez, who gained followers on TikTok after she posted videos documenting the Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, can be heard on video screaming in Spanish, “Wait! wait! I’ll get out,” as officers place her facedown on the ground.
During the struggle and arrest, Nunez is accused of pushing the passenger side door of the Tesla on an officer, the Department of Justice said. When officers turned their attention to another man who approached Martinez’s car, Nunez used his tow truck to tow one of the government vehicles blocking Martinez’s car, the DOJ said.
Video showed the government SUV with emergency lights activated being towed down the street in front of the parking exit. The SUV had keys and a firearm inside, which was locked in a safe.
The video showed an agent running after the tow truck and SUV. In the criminal complaint filed Aug. 22, the officer said Nunez was laughing as he used his cellphone to record what was happening. The tow truck headed east on Temple Street before the agent stopped the chase.
On Aug. 16, Nunez’s tow truck was seen in a residential parking space at the same complex, the DOJ said. Details about where Nunez was arrested and the location of the government SUV were not immediately available.
“Apparently he thought it would be funny to interfere with our immigration enforcement operations,” acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a post on X. “Now he can laugh behind bars while he faces justice. Nunez is looking at up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted.”
An initial court appearance was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon.
The recent immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles and other parts of Southern California are part of President Trump’s campaign promise to carry out a mass deportation plan.
Through August, nearly 61,000 migrants had been taken into ICE detention since the start of President Trump’s second term, according NBC News, which used ICE data both public and internal as well as data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency. About 30% of those in detention had criminal convictions; 25% had pending criminal charges; 45% were listed as “other immigration violator;” and 11.6% were fast-tracked for deportation.