LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Federal law enforcement arrested a man Thursday in East Los Angeles who allegedly distributed so-called "bionic shield" face masks during an immigration protest.
Alejandro Theodoro Orellana was taken into custody Thursday morning for allegedly "distributing face shields to suspected rioters" on Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli posted on X. He also posted video of a man handing out gear to protesters from the back of a pickup.
ARRESTED: Alejandro Theodoro Orellana was arrested this morning by @FBILosAngeles on an allegation of Conspiracy to Commit Civil Disorders (18 USC 371) for distributing face shields to suspected rioters on Tuesday. We are moving quickly to identify and arrest those involved in… pic.twitter.com/Ase8kxupfp
— U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) June 12, 2025
According to KTLA, the arrest sparked a backlash from local residents, who said they were awakened near East Sixth Street and South Ditman Avenue around 6:30 a.m. Thursday by the sound of flash bangs and calls from authorities to stay indoors.
"We are moving quickly to identify and arrest those involved in organizing and/or supporting civil disorder in Los Angeles," Essayli stated in the post.
Essayli said Orellana was charged with a single federal count of conspiracy to commit civil disorders.
Video posted on X show members of the National Guard assisting the FBI in the arrest.
Copyright 2025, City News Service, Inc.
