An investigation is underway after a deputy US marshal and a man were shot during an immigration enforcement operation in south Los Angeles on Wednesday. The Los Angeles Police Department reported the incident shortly before 9am, involving federal agents.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the deputy marshal and a man suspected of illegal entry into the US were injured during a “targeted traffic stop”. ICE agents surrounded the man’s vehicle, and the man allegedly rammed his car into federal vehicles in an attempt to flee. Officers then fired “defensive shots”.
The man was shot in the elbow, and the deputy marshal was struck in the hand by a ricochet bullet. Both were taken to hospital. Acting US Attorney Bill Essayli identified the man as Carlitos Ricardo Parias, 44, who has been charged with assault on a federal officer. If convicted, he faces up to eight years in prison.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin blamed the injuries on “sanctuary politicians and activists who urge illegal aliens to resist arrest”. The DHS claims violence against officers is rising, citing a 1,000% increase in attacks on ICE officers since January 21, 2025, compared to the same period last year, though no data has been released to verify this.
Immigration activists have expressed concern over increasingly violent tactics used by federal agents. The shooting follows several recent incidents, including the death of a Guatemalan man during an ICE operation in August, and a farmworker who died after falling from a roof during a raid in July.
