Two shootings involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have taken place over the past 10 days in Southern California, amid increasing tensions as individuals on the left continue to track ICE agents.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin provided a statement to Fox News Digital detailing one such incident. On Thursday in Ontario, California, an individual pulled their car in front of ICE officers. After the officers ordered the driver to leave the area, the individual attempted to run them over by reversing directly at them without stopping, according to McLaughlin.
Fearing for his life, one ICE officer fired shots at the vehicle, which then fled the scene. McLaughlin described the event as “another example of the threats our ICE officers are facing day in and day out.”
Highlighting the increasing danger to ICE personnel, McLaughlin said, “ICE officers now face a 1,000% increase in assaults against them, including cars being used as weapons, and death threats against our agents are up 8,000%.” She added, “This violence must end. Let me be clear: Anyone who assaults, impedes, obstructs, or threatens the lives of federal officers will be arrested and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
In a separate incident on October 21, DHS reported that TikTok influencer Carlito Ricardo Parias, an undocumented immigrant, tried to ram his car into a law enforcement vehicle in Los Angeles. ICE officers fired shots at Parias, hitting him in the elbow. Additionally, one U.S. Marshals officer was shot in the hand by a ricochet bullet.
Both individuals involved in these incidents are currently in stable condition. DHS officials confirmed that charges are being pursued against Parias for allegedly assaulting, resisting, or impeding federal law enforcement.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Parias had been tracking ICE agents for months prior to his arrest and was known among some as “Tiktokquero,” “El Señor Richard,” and “Richard.”
These incidents underscore the growing threats faced by ICE officers in the course of their duties, amidst heightened political and social tensions surrounding immigration enforcement.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/blue-state-ice-agents-dodge-bullets-speeding-cars-left-ramps-up-tracking-campaigns