A couple from South Los Angeles could face up to six years in prison after they attempted to block an ICE operation by driving on the wrong side of the road before cutting the agents off and slamming on the brakes, officials say.
Gustavo Torres, 28, and Kiara Jaime-Flores, 34, were arrested Wednesday and charged with conspiracy to impede or injure an officer after they “allegedly pulled in front of” a government vehicle while in their Honda Fit and “blocked its pathway at the intersection” on February 28, a U.S. Attorney's Office’s statement read.
Torres and Jaime-Flores allegedly drove on the wrong side of the road, pulled in front of two ICE vehicles and slammed on the brakes — agents claimed this was a deliberate attempt to cause a collision.
At least one immigration rights activist called the arrests “intimidation.”
“We know that throughout the history of this country anyone that has stood up for racial justice, social justice has been a target. We do not impede. We do not obstruct. We do everything legally, but it's not above the Trump administration to lie,” advocate Ron Gochez of Union del Barrio told CBS Los Angeles.
According to an affidavit, on the day of the incident in question, HSI and Border Patrol agents were executing four search warrants at a string of homes in LA.
While at one home, a small crowd formed outside and several bystanders “directed hostile remarks at the agents,” who then leapt into their cars and retreated from the area.
The couple is then accused of “aggressively” following one of the government vehicles for two miles, attempting to cross multiple lanes of traffic as it followed the agents, said the release.
The pair could be issued with a maximum sentence of six years in federal prison if convicted.
“These defendants are charged with knowingly and recklessly putting federal agents’ lives in danger,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli.
“Anyone who deliberately gets in the way of immigration officers doing their job will face criminal prosecution and the prospect of doing time in a federal prison cell,” he continued.
Torres is quoted in documents as saying he thought pursuing the agents was a “good idea.”
“If it was immigration, they were taking someone's family member unjustified. Well, me and my girlfriend, the first instinct was, well, to block the cars,” he allegedly told authorities.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said HSI is investigating the incident along with multiple law enforcement officials who work in financial crimes in Southern California.
The couple made their first court appearance Wednesday afternoon in the United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
The Trump administration has been tirelessly pushing a crackdown on immigration since Trump’s inauguration in January 2021.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement claims it has arrested over 66,000 undocumented migrants and removed 65,000, who they said included criminals, during Trump’s first 100 days. However, several U.S. citizens have been erroneously arrested during the crackdown, prompting widespread criticism.
