Yesterday, the government commenced Operation Excalibur, a mission to terrify the citizens of Los Angeles with an overwhelming display of force to remind them that Donald Trump, not Gavin Newsom, now runs their city.
But you might not have heard too much about it because it was an incompetent and embarrassing disaster that the government is trying to sweep under the rug as quickly as possible.
Independent reporter Ken Klippenstein has received and published internal Army documents revealing just how badly this operation went. This was to be a “show of presence” in MacArthur Park, with everyone from the DEA, FBI, ICE, National Guard and, bizarrely, the IRS, converging to “assault” the Park, which they describe as a place of “historic lawlessness” and “the founding location of MS-13.”
In a nutshell ICE with guns and tactical gear didn't have anything better to do but to come to MacArthur Park in LA and terrorize 20 children playing at a summer camp. What's not shown is a helicopter and drones swarming above. pic.twitter.com/nUmyrfeuo7
— Faith M. Jackson-
(@kissedbythesun) July 7, 2025
Their objective, to arrive in force and demonstrate “the capacity and freedom of maneuver of federal law enforcement within the Los Angeles Joint Operations Area”. And make no mistake, heading into this city park was considered a potentially lethal mission: “Criminal elements, likely including FTO [foreign terrorist organization] MS-13 consider the park their home ‘turf’ and could escalate to lethal violence.”
They also considered that lethal force may have to be used on parkgoers, with their “Civil Analysis” saying: “High potential for collateral damage if threat activity requires use of lethal force in a kinetic engagement”. Guys, this is a city park, not Black Hawk Down.
A nice day out in the park
In the end, the attack on MacArthur Park fell substantially short of terror and intimidation, leaving those present (mainly children, dog walkers, and mothers with strollers) bemused. As Klippenstein’s documents confirm, it was also an organizational disaster, with none of the agencies communicating with each other effectively and some arriving too late to participate.
Most of the soldiers didn’t even manage to make it out of their vehicles. As a National Guard member said, “We were on the objective for 24 minutes. Many of the phase lines were not reported because they didn’t happen. So we parked and then left. Soldiers didn’t get out of trucks. [They] stayed in the back of the 5-tons [military trucks] sweating in the heat.”
This is footage from today in MacArthur Park.
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) July 7, 2025
Minutes before, there were more than 20 kids playing — then, the MILITARY comes through.
The SECOND I heard about this, I went to the park to speak to the person in charge to tell them it needed to end NOW.
Absolutely outrageous. pic.twitter.com/sxGzjGlYlr
Mayor Karen Bass then arrived to scold the troops, saying they needed “to leave and they need to leave right now, they need to leave because this is unacceptable.” Presumably glad of an excuse to end this moronic operation, they did.
Soldiers involved viewed the mission as “unnecessary and even ridiculous”, as the combined might of three-letter agencies assaulting a city park is patently absurd. The conclusion from those on the ground: Operation Excalibur was a “botched laughingstock”. Judging by the information we have, it’s difficult to disagree.
