A federal agent fired his weapon during a law enforcement operation in Compton, California on Wednesday after an illegal immigrant rammed officers while attempting to evade arrest, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The incident occurred during a targeted operation to apprehend William Eduardo Moran Carballo, a Salvadoran national accused of human smuggling. DHS stated that Carballo had been previously arrested twice for inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant and was subject to a final order of removal issued by an immigration judge in 2019.
In a statement, a DHS spokesman said: “This criminal illegal alien weaponized his vehicle and rammed law enforcement. Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired defensive shots.” The suspect was not hit by the gunfire and fled on foot before being taken into custody. A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer sustained injuries during the encounter.
DHS reported a 3,200 percent increase in vehicle attacks against law enforcement since sanctuary policies have been promoted, including by Governor Gavin Newsom. The agency claims such policies have emboldened criminals to resist arrest, with federal officials noting a surge in incidents targeting immigration officers.
The Compton confrontation follows a series of recent attacks on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. In one case, an illegal immigrant received a 20-year federal prison sentence for assaulting an ICE officer, while another was charged with using tear gas against law enforcement. Federal authorities have also offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to the capture of an individual accused of ramming ICE agents with a vehicle.
