{"id":4816,"date":"2025-06-22T08:59:22","date_gmt":"2025-06-22T08:59:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/4816\/"},"modified":"2025-06-22T08:59:22","modified_gmt":"2025-06-22T08:59:22","slug":"immigration-raid-at-car-wash-sparks-tense-scene-hours-of-protests-in-bell","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/4816\/","title":{"rendered":"Immigration raid at car wash sparks tense scene, hours of protests in Bell"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Protesters gathered in southeast Los Angeles County on Friday evening, facing off with masked men in fatigues after federal agents detained at least three people at a car wash in the city of Bell, according to witnesses, and visited another car wash in neighboring Maywood. <\/p>\n<p>The immigration action in Bell took place at Jack\u2019s Car Wash and Detailing, located in the 7000 block of Atlantic Avenue, just north of Florence Avenue. Security camera footage reviewed by The Times shows masked men wearing olive vests chasing a car wash employee, who was wearing a bright green uniform and cap. <\/p>\n<p>The video shows another employee \u2014 wearing a bright green cap, a white long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans \u2014 surrounded by the masked men, his hands restrained behind his back. The employee is tackled to the ground as customers and others gathered, with some taking out their phones to record videos. <\/p>\n<p>          <video playsinline=\"playsinline\" loop=\"\" preload=\"none\" title=\"Protesters gather after apparent immigration raid targets car wash in L.A. County\" data-video-id=\"00000197-9098-d88c-a5b7-f4bade3d0000\">               <\/video>                 <img class=\"image\" alt=\"\"   width=\"473\" height=\"840\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1750582759_369_\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>             <\/p>\n<ul data-element=\"action-bar-menu\" class=\"flex gap-2 list-none  absolute w-full h-10 top-0\">\n<li data-element=\"action-bar-share\" class=\"flex  w-full h-10 top-0 lg:items-center lg:justify-center \">\n<p> Share via     Close extra sharing options  <\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The man in the white-long sleeved shirt is a car wash worker who is a U.S. citizen, according to the employee\u2019s brother, Jes\u00fas Rafael Cervantes. He said his brother, who lives in Bell Gardens, wanted to defend a coworker \u2014 an action that, Cervantes said, prompted agents to detain his brother. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cJust for defending someone, they came and knocked him down. As you can see in the videos, they came and knocked him down like that, just like that. And that\u2019s unfair, that they come and grab a person like that as if he were an animal or something,\u201d Cervantes told The Times. <\/p>\n<p>Protesters gathered to confront the agents in the area, which is about six miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. In one video shared with The Times, a protester sprays white paint on a silver SUV and a voice can be heard saying, \u201cGet the &#8230; out of here!\u201d while others jeer. People can be seen hitting the vehicle. <\/p>\n<p>            <img class=\"image\" alt=\"Residents confront ICE agents and Border Patrol agents as residents scream over their presence in their neighborhood\"   width=\"2000\" height=\"1330\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1750582760_137_\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>         <\/p>\n<p>Residents confront federal agents as residents scream over their presence in their neighborhood on Atlantic Boulevard in the city of Bell on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>(Genaro Molina \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<p>Officials with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not immediately return a request for comment. In a <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DHSgov\/status\/1936256329280008494\" target=\"_blank\">statement<\/a> posted on social media, the agency said Border Patrol vehicles \u201cwere violently targeted during lawful operations\u201d in Bell and Maywood. <\/p>\n<p>The Department of Homeland Security said one vehicle was rammed and had its tires slashed on Atlantic Boulevard. On Slauson Avenue, a civilian struck a federal vehicle, totaling it, according to the department.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe driver was arrested for suspicion of vehicular assault as a mob formed and slashed additional tires,\u201d the department said. <\/p>\n<p>The statement included <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/DHSgov\/status\/1936256329280008494\" target=\"_blank\">photos<\/a> showing silver vehicles with cracked or shattered windows. One silver SUV was shown with dented doors and scratched paint. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cFederal law enforcement is facing an ever-escalating increase in assaults \u2014 but we will not be deterred,\u201d the department said. \u201cIf you assault a federal officer, you will be prosecuted.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The statement did not indicate how many were detained on immigration-related matters.<\/p>\n<p>            <img class=\"image\" alt=\"US Border Patrol respond to the scene after a traffic collision\"   width=\"2000\" height=\"1429\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1750582761_716_\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>         <\/p>\n<p>U.S. Border Patrol respond to the scene after a traffic collision with one of their vehicles on Atlantic and Brompton avenues as ongoing immigration raids take place across the greater L.A. area on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>(Carlin Stiehl \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<p>The protest in Bell, a city with a large Latino and Lebanese community, comes as the federal government continues its campaign in Los Angeles to find and capture undocumented immigrants. The actions have spurred backlash from local and state officials and have forced some residents into hiding. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re not sure who these armed men are. They show up without uniforms. They show up completely masked. They refuse to give ID. They\u2019re driving regular cars with tinted windows and in some cases, out-of-state license plates. Who are these people?\u201d Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said at a briefing Friday night. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf they\u2019re federal officials, why is it that they do not identify themselves?\u201d Bass asked. <\/p>\n<p>                 <img class=\"image\" alt=\"Residents confront ICE agents, assisted by Border Patrol agents\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1750582761_928_\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>                      <img class=\"image\" alt=\"Residents stand behind a line of Vernon police officers.\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1750582761_100_\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>                      <img class=\"image\" alt=\"Residents scream and film ICE and Border Patrol agents who they surrounded after an immigrant raid\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1750582762_125_\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>                      <img class=\"image\" alt=\"Residents confront ICE agents and Border Patrol agents as residents scream over their presence\"   width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1750582762_590_\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>         <\/p>\n<p id=\"media-set-00000197-9179-de2f-a1bf-93f9a6e80010\" data-element=\"media-set-caption\" class=\"col-span-full mx-5 my-0 font-cmsFontServiceText font-medium text-xs leading-3.5 text-cms-color-brand-text lg:mx-0\">  Residents scream and film federal agents and local police who they surrounded after an immigrant raid on Atlantic Boulevard in the city of Bell on Friday.     (Genaro Molina\/Los Angeles Times) <\/p>\n<p>Around Atlantic and Brompton avenues, crowds of people gathered, taking videos and looking at the agents \u2014 armed individuals wearing balaclavas, some carrying long weapons, wearing vests and camouflage pants. They stood in the street near a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop. <\/p>\n<p>The crowd and agents were separated by yellow tape. One woman with a bullhorn hurled obscenities at the agents and President Trump; others waved a Mexican flag and an upside-down U.S. flag, traditionally a symbol of protest or distress. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cLosers!\u201d another woman called out. \u201cGo fight a real war!\u201d Another shouted, \u201cShame on you!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elsewhere, one of the armed people wore a U.S. flag on his vest, and some onlookers called out to them. \u201cAre you a bounty hunter? How much is the bounty for an illegal right now?\u201d someone on the street yelled.<\/p>\n<p>            <img class=\"image\" alt=\"A federal agent walks through tear gas that was fired to push protesters back during a raid on Atlantic Blvd\"   width=\"2000\" height=\"1373\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1750582762_316_\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>         <\/p>\n<p>A federal agent walks through tear gas that was fired to push protesters back during a raid on Atlantic Boulevard In the city of Bell on Friday.<\/p>\n<p>(Genaro Molina \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n<p>Cudahy Mayor Elizabeth Alcantar Loza was in Bell as the crowds gathered, and said the mood on Atlantic Avenue shifted when suddenly an unmarked silver SUV drove toward her and other people standing near her, angering the crowd. Some began to hit and throw objects at the SUV. A second unmarked vehicle attempted to do the same thing moments later, she said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt felt like there was a point being made to incite violence,\u201d Alcantar Loza said. \u201cPeople were peacefully protesting, and it became something completely different because of the vehicle that was trying to drive into the crowd.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve seen it across the board, folks show up to an immigration activity and then violence is enacted upon them. Then they respond and we\u2019re shown as violent protesters \u2014 when in reality folks were calm, they were chanting, they were protesting. And they tried to run people over,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Just after 8 p.m., peaceful protesters waving Mexican and American flags gathered around Jack\u2019s Car Wash in Bell, as motorists honked their horns in support. \u201cICE out of everywhere!!!\u201d one sign said. \u201cImmigrants built this country,\u201d said another.<\/p>\n<p>There was another immigration action that appeared to focus on a car wash in Maywood on Friday, according to Maywood Councilman Eddie De La Riva. Ultimately, no one was taken from that business, he said.<\/p>\n<p>At one point, there was considerable commotion near the car wash. <\/p>\n<p>Video shared with The Times shows a minor collision between a blue BMW and a blue SUV with at least three agents inside, all wearing green vests. <\/p>\n<p>One of the passengers in the SUV opens his door in front of the slowly moving BMW, causing the BMW to hit the SUV\u2019s door. <\/p>\n<p>          <video playsinline=\"playsinline\" preload=\"none\" title=\"Car clips federal agent\u2019s vehicle in Maywood\" data-video-id=\"00000197-9094-d88c-a5b7-f4b649850000\">               <\/video>                 <img class=\"image\" alt=\"\"   width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/1750582762_888_\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>                      <\/p>\n<p>Agents detained the BMW\u2019s driver, who was later released, the councilman said, after onlookers shouted at the agents to let the driver go. By then, a crowd of protesters had formed. <\/p>\n<p>Fernando Botello, 39, was driving back to Maywood after picking up his girlfriend\u2019s 14-year-old son when he got an alert on his citizen app that people suspected to be immigration agents were spotted in the area.<\/p>\n<p>Moments later, he said, he learned that the agents were at an Xpress Wash at Slauson and Alamo avenues, just blocks from his home. When Botello got close to the intersection, he could see several vehicles were blocking the roadway.<\/p>\n<p>Unable to move, he got out of the car and watched the scene. <\/p>\n<p>He said the crowd started screaming to let the man go. He could hear people asking for the agents\u2019 badge numbers. After five minutes, he said, local police arrived.<\/p>\n<p>It was at that point, he said, the agents got in their vehicles and threw tear gas at a group standing on a corner near a park.<\/p>\n<p>A video taken by Botello shows an <a class=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/mozkid8\/status\/1936202906144997499\" target=\"_blank\">armed masked man<\/a> standing from the ledge of an open door of a black SUV slowly driving along a street near Maywood\u2019s Riverfront Park. The video shows the agent throwing an object toward a crowd of people, and a loud bang can be heard as he gets back in the vehicle. Botello said the object was a flash bang grenade, and was tossed at people who were taking video.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey knew what they wanted to do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>As he recounted the situation, Botello paused, trying to hold back tears.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI was upset because the people were exercising their right. They weren\u2019t hitting the officers\u2019 vehicles, they weren\u2019t in the middle of the street,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re punishing people for standing up for their neighbors and yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt feels surreal. I don\u2019t know how long this is going to last.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Protesters gathered in southeast Los Angeles County on Friday evening, facing off with masked men in fatigues after&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4817,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5123],"tags":[6286,1582,276,6284,4537,6290,6285,6289,2961,224,5337,2089,6287,6291,3546,4532,637,6288,6189,989],"class_list":{"0":"post-4816","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles","8":"tag-bell","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-california","11":"tag-car-wash","12":"tag-crowd","13":"tag-door","14":"tag-federal-agent","15":"tag-fernando-botello","16":"tag-la","17":"tag-los-angeles","18":"tag-losangeles","19":"tag-man","20":"tag-maywood","21":"tag-other","22":"tag-people","23":"tag-protester","24":"tag-times","25":"tag-u-s-department","26":"tag-vehicle","27":"tag-video"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114726198743184771","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4816"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4816\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4817"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}