DOJ Announces Man Who Supplied LA Rioters Has Been Arrested

Bill Essayli, the U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, announced this week that federal charges are being brought against a man who was recorded on video distributing boxes of heavy-duty face shields to rioters during the most violent night of the unrest on June 9, as reported by CBS News.

Video footage from a local Fox affiliate depicts a man in a black pickup truck delivering the equipment to the crowd.

“No, those are masks. So people are preparing for some sort of confrontation with police as we speak,” noted Fox Los Angeles reporter Matthew Seedorff at the time. “You likely do not wear a mask unless you have a plan to conceal your identity,” he further remarked.

On June 12, FBI agents apprehended Alejandro Theodoro Orellana, who was identified as the driver of the truck. He was taken into custody on the charge of Conspiracy to Commit Civil Disorders (18 USC 371) for providing face shields to suspected rioters, as stated by Essayli on X.

“We are acting swiftly to identify and detain those involved in organizing and/or facilitating civil disorder in Los Angeles,” Essayli remarked.

The DOJ also revealed charges against another individual accused of throwing rocks and explosive devices at police officers on U.S. Route 101 during the violence on June 9.

Adam Palermo, 39, is now facing four felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon against a peace officer, in addition to one felony count of arson and one count of vandalism, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.

Authorities report that on June 8, at approximately 7 p.m., Palermo hurled a large rock from an overpass onto a California Highway Patrol vehicle on the 101 Freeway. He is also alleged to have ignited an object and thrown it onto a CHP SUV parked on the freeway, which subsequently caught fire.

Palermo is currently facing federal charges related to the incident, as confirmed by Essayli during a press conference.

He allegedly shared images on social media depicting damaged CHP vehicles, accompanied by a caption stating, “Of all the protests I’ve participated in, which number over 100 now, I take the most pride in what I accomplished today,” according to Essayli.

California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have expressed their disapproval of President Donald Trump regarding the financial implications of deploying troops to manage anti-ICE protests within their jurisdiction—a cost that is significantly less than what taxpayers allocate for services provided to illegal immigrants in the state.

“This is an utterly disgraceful allocation of taxpayer funds that could be utilized to genuinely assist people,” Bass recently remarked on X. “Despicable.”

“$134 million that ought to be directed towards LA’s fire recovery,” Newsom stated on X. “Shameful.”

Numerous individuals on social media reacted to their statements by emphasizing the billions of taxpayer dollars expended on illegal immigrants in California. Among those contributing to the discussion was White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller.

“Just wait until you discover how many trillions we are obligated to spend on illegal aliens,” Miller commented on X in response to Newsom.

“Now consider the $9 billion you extracted from our state treasury to finance your free healthcare initiative for illegal immigrants,” campaign strategist Andrew Clark remarked on X.

“How many billions have you allocated to illegals, Gavin? It’s well into the hundreds of billions,” Conservative activist and filmmaker Robby Starbuck posted on X. “THAT money should have been invested in your citizens and fire recovery, yet you allocated it to illegals.

Recent analyses conducted by Fox News Digital indicate that California invests at least tens of billions of dollars each year on illegal immigrants, significantly surpassing the $134 million expense of deploying federal troops to address the recent riots.