Demonstrators assembled in southeast Los Angeles County Friday night, confronting masked individuals in fatigues after federal agents apprehended at least three people at a car wash in Bell, as reported by witnesses, and visited another car wash in nearby Maywood.
The immigration operation in Bell occurred at Jack’s Car Wash and Detailing, situated in the 7000 block of Atlantic Avenue, just north of Florence Avenue. Security footage analyzed by The Times reveals masked men in olive vests pursuing a car wash employee clad in a bright green uniform and cap.
The video captures another employee — dressed in a bright green cap, a white long-sleeved shirt, and blue jeans — encircled by the masked individuals, his hands bound behind him. The employee is taken down as customers and onlookers congregate, with some whipping out their phones to record the scene.
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Demonstrators gathered in southeast Los Angeles County, confronting masked individuals in fatigues after an apparent immigration raid at a car wash in Bell.
The individual in the white long-sleeved shirt is a car wash worker who is a U.S. citizen, according to the worker’s brother, Jesús Rafael Cervantes. He mentioned that his brother, a Bell Gardens resident, aimed to defend a coworker — a move that, Cervantes claimed, led agents to detain him.
“Just for defending someone, they came and took him down. As seen in the videos, they approached and tackled him like that, and it’s unfair, treating him like that as if he were an animal,” Cervantes expressed to The Times.
Demonstrators assembled to confront the agents in the vicinity, roughly 6 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. One video provided to The Times shows a protester spraying white paint onto a silver SUV, with voices heard saying, “Get the … out of here!” while others shout. People are seen striking the vehicle.
Officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not respond immediately to a request for comment. In a statement shared on social media, the agency reported that Border Patrol vehicles “were violently targeted during lawful operations” in Bell and Maywood.
The Department of Homeland Security asserted that one vehicle was rammed and its tires slashed on Atlantic Boulevard. Additionally, on Slauson Avenue, a civilian crashed into a federal vehicle, resulting in significant damage, according to the department.
“The driver was arrested for suspicion of vehicular assault as a crowd formed and slashed additional tires,” the statement noted.
The release also included photos showing silver vehicles with cracked or shattered windows. One image depicted a silver SUV with dented doors and scratched paint.
“Federal law enforcement is experiencing a rising trend of assaults — but we will not be deterred,” the department stated. “Assaulting a federal officer will result in prosecution.”
No details were provided on the number of detentions related to immigration issues.
The protest in Bell, a city characterized by a significant Latino and Lebanese population, occurs amid the federal government’s ongoing effort in Los Angeles to find and detain undocumented immigrants. These actions have incited backlash from local and state officials, compelling some residents to seek refuge.
“We’re uncertain who these armed individuals are. They arrive without uniforms, completely masked. They decline to provide identification and operate ordinary cars with tinted windows, and in some instances, out-of-state plates. Who exactly are these people?” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stated at a briefing Friday night.
“If they are federal officials, why do they not identify themselves?” Bass inquired.
Near Atlantic and Brompton avenues, groups congregated, filming the agents — armed individuals in balaclavas, some wielding rifles, donning vests, and camouflage pants. They stood on the street beside a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop.
Yellow tape separated the crowd from the agents. One woman with a bullhorn shouted obscenities at the agents and President Trump; others waved a Mexican flag along with an upside-down U.S. flag, a traditional symbol of protest or distress.
“Losers!” another woman yelled. “Go fight a real war!” Another voice shouted, “Shame on you!”
Elsewhere, one of the armed individuals sported a U.S. flag on his vest, prompting bystanders to ask, “Are you a bounty hunter? What’s the bounty on an undocumented immigrant right now?”
Cudahy Mayor Elizabeth Alcantar Loza was present in Bell as the crowds gathered, noting a change in mood when an unmarked silver SUV suddenly approached her and others nearby, inciting anger among the crowd. Some began to strike and hurl objects at the SUV. A second unmarked vehicle tried to do the same shortly after, she stated.
“It felt like an effort to provoke violence,” Alcantar Loza commented. “People were protesting peacefully, and it transformed into something entirely different because of the vehicle attempting to drive into the crowd.”
“We’ve observed it across the board; individuals show up at an immigration action, and then they experience violence from agents. In retaliation, they’re depicted as violent protesters—when in reality, they were calm, chanting, and protesting. Yet, the agents attempted to run people over,” she added.
Shortly after 8 p.m., peaceful demonstrators waving Mexican and American flags converged around Jack’s Car Wash in Bell, as motorists honked in solidarity. “ICE out of everywhere!!!” read one sign. “Immigrants built this country,” proclaimed another.
There was another immigration operation that seemed to target a car wash in Maywood, per Maywood Councilman Eddie De La Riva. Ultimately, no one was apprehended from that establishment, he mentioned.
At one point, significant commotion erupted near the car wash.
Video shared with The Times captured a minor collision involving a blue BMW and a blue SUV with at least three agents inside, all wearing green vests.
One passenger in the SUV opened their door in front of the slowly advancing BMW, causing the BMW to strike the SUV’s door.
Agents apprehended the driver of the BMW, who was later freed, according to the councilman, after bystanders shouted for the agents to release him. By that time, a crowd of demonstrators had assembled.
Fernando Botello, 39, was returning to Maywood after picking up his girlfriend’s 14-year-old son when he received an alert on his citizen app regarding suspected immigration agents in the vicinity.
Shortly after, he learned that agents were present at an Xpress Wash at Slauson and Alamo avenues, just blocks from his residence. When Botello reached the intersection, he found several vehicles obstructing the road.
Unable to proceed, he exited his vehicle and observed the unfolding scene.
He reported that the crowd began yelling for the man’s release. He could hear voices requesting the agents’ badge numbers. After about five minutes, local police arrived.
At that moment, he mentioned, the agents entered their vehicles and deployed tear gas at a group positioned on a corner near a park.
A video recorded by Botello features an armed masked individual from an open door of a black SUV, which was cruising along a street near Maywood’s Riverfront Park. The footage shows the agent hurling an object at a crowd, followed by a loud bang as he returns to the vehicle. Botello stated the object was a flashbang grenade, tossed at those filming the scene.
“They knew their intentions,” he remarked.
As he shared his experience, Botello struggled to hold back tears.
“I felt anger because the people were exercising their rights. They weren’t damaging the officers’ vehicles or blocking the streets,” he expressed. “You’re punishing individuals for standing up for their community and themselves.”
“It feels surreal. I can’t predict how long this will persist.”
