As Border Patrol agents carried out an immigration related enforcement operation, guarded by a contingent of U.S. Marines, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and a group of protesters intervened. Despite the protests, the operation went on as planned. El Centro Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino, who led the operation, says the opposition from Bass and others will have no impact on the federal government’s will to enforce existing immigration laws.
Breitbart Texas spoke to Chief Bovino after the operation where participating agents and military members were confronted by the mayor and several other protesters. Chief Bovino was on the scene supervising federal immigration officers at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles when the mayor’s intervention attempt took place.
According to Bovino, the operation was aimed at impacting illegal alien gang activity that includes the production and sales of false documents. Bovino says the park has a history of illegal alien gang activity that the operation intended to disrupt. The predominant gang in the area is the Salvadoran MS-13 gang.
Bovino told Breitbart Texas that in addition to the violence MS-13 is capable of, the production and sale of false immigration and identity documents poses a danger to Americans everywhere.
“We were targeting special interest aliens as well, if they get their hands on false documents, it could allow them to travel across the country more easily, that’s dangerous and unacceptable,” Bovino warned.
Chief Bovino says the anti-law enforcement rhetoric coming from leaders of sanctuary cities and physical attempts to curb immigration law enforcement will not be allowed to impact the Department of Homeland Security’s will to enforce the law. Bovino says the rhetoric aimed at vilifying law enforcement agents is dangerous and could result in officers being injured or killed as they attempt to carry out their enforcement missions.
On Monday, as reported by Breitbart Texas, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass made an in-person appearance to ask federal immigration authorities to end an immigration raid and leave a troubled downtown park. The mayor was unhappy with an immigration raid happening in the city’s MacArthur Park on Monday that involved hundreds of federal agents and a contingent of U.S. Marines providing security during the operation.
Later, Mayor Bass posted a video clip of the operation and issued a statement on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) saying, “This is footage from today in MacArthur Park. 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.”
Bass did not mention the previous violence in the park that is considered a stronghold of the Salvadoran MS-13 gang. As early as 2020, the foreign gang has openly operated within the park and committed numerous acts of violence. According to a report by The Pride, a Los Angeles newspaper for the LGBT community, two transgender women were brutally attacked and stabbed in the park by MS-13 gang members in late 2020.
The Pride described the gang’s presence in MacArthur Park saying, “Members of MS-13, who have a tight hold on MacArthur Park, have made it clear that they are motivated by a hateful, bigoted desire to rid their turf of transgender people.”
More recently, in January, a 27-year-old man was arrested for his involvement for a gang related mass shooting near MacArthur Park that left six people, including the shooter wounded. A KTLA5 news report identified the suspect as Jose Daniel Amaya who the Los Angeles Police Department allege opened fire with a .22 caliber handgun shooting four men and a woman. Authorities did not identify a person who opened fire on Amaya, striking and injuring him in the melee.
The Department of Defense issued a brief statement on X (formerly twitter) saying the military personnel on the scene were providing protection for federal law enforcement agents participating in Monday’s unannounced operation. The post read, “U.S. military personnel are on the ground to ensure the safety of federal agents. We will protect federal law enforcement and assist by establishing a security perimeter.
Mayor Bass’ remarks against the agents involved in enforcing federal immigration law in Los Angeles comes on the day an active shooter in tactical gear attempted to storm a Border Patrol facility in McAllen, Texas firing dozens of rounds into the building. As reported by Breitbart Texas, Ryan Louis Mosqueda, who authorities unofficially identified as the suspect was killed during the attack.
According to a law enforcement familiar with the investigati0n into the attack, Mosqueda was neutralized by members of the agency’s elite BORTAC team who were present at the facility and quickly responded to the attack. A motive for the attack has not been revealed by the authorities investigating the shooting.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
