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One of the thugs who attacked federal immigration agents last summer proved unable to outrun the whirlwind — and his time of reaping is at hand.
Amid efforts by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla (Calif.), and other Democrats to demonize and delegitimize U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, a mob of radicals swarmed a federal law enforcement command post in Paramount, California, on June 7.
Agents attempting to leave the site near a Home Depot east of the 710 freeway were savagely attacked.
Footage shows radicals pelting federal vehicles with various projectiles, including chunks of concrete. Another video taken inside a U.S. Customs and Border Protection vehicle shows that on at least one occasion, one of the projectiles punched through the glass, injuring officers.
Following the attack, the FBI put one of the more prominent rock-throwers on its Most Wanted list and offered a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the masked man's "identification, arrest and conviction."
Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, vowed, "We will find him. We will charge him. Justice is coming."
Sure enough, the attacker was identified within days as Elpidio Reyna of Compton in Los Angeles County. Tracking him down, however, proved more difficult as he had managed to escape to Mexico. Federal law enforcement nevertheless got their man.
Former FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced on July 23 that Reyna was arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border. As poetic justice would have it, Reyna was taken into custody by a U.S. Border Patrol officer who was inside one of the vehicles damaged in the June attack.
Reyna, 41, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one felony count of assault on a federal officer by deadly or dangerous weapon resulting in bodily injury. The radical, who initially tried to dodge accountability, could face up to 20 years in federal prison for his crime.
The Department of Justice press release about his plea reiterated the Reyna assaulted an officer "by throwing chunks of concrete at passing government vehicles" during the Paramount riot last summer, shattering glass and resulting in a cut to the officer's forehead.
"This defendant could have easily killed a federal officer or innocent bystander," Essayli said in a statement. "As he found out the hard way, violence against law enforcement is not constitutionally protected and will be met with swift justice."
The DOJ indicated that in addition to injuring a CBP officer, Reyna lit objects on fire and impeded law enforcement activity on June 7.
Reyna's sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 7.
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