Feds Fire Defensive Shots After Illegal Alien Rams Officers In Arrest Operation
A federal immigration arrest in Southern California turned violent Wednesday after an illegal immigrant allegedly used his vehicle as a weapon against law enforcement, prompting a federal agent to open fire in what officials described as a defensive response.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, officers attempted to arrest William Eduardo Moran Carballo, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador with alleged ties to a human smuggling operation, in Compton early Wednesday morning. DHS confirmed the details to Fox News.
Federal officials said Carballo has two prior arrests for inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant and has been under a final order of removal since 2019, issued by an immigration judge.
During the arrest attempt, DHS said Carballo escalated the situation by attempting to flee and deliberately attacking officers with his vehicle.
“DHS said Carballo ‘weaponized his vehicle and rammed law enforcement’ in an effort to evade custody.”
“Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired defensive shots,” a DHS spokesperson said.
Carballo was not struck by gunfire and attempted to escape on foot before being apprehended, DHS said. While the suspect was not injured, a Customs and Border Protection officer sustained injuries during the encounter.
DHS described the situation as part of a growing and dangerous trend, placing blame on sanctuary policies promoted by Democratic leaders that discourage cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
“These dangerous attempts to evade arrest have surged since sanctuary politicians, including Governor Gavin Newsom, have encouraged illegal aliens to evade arrest,” the DHS spokesperson said, citing a reported 3,200 percent increase in vehicle attacks on officers.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed it was aware of the incident, which occurred in the 2400 block of 126th Street in unincorporated Los Angeles County. Deputies from the department’s Century Station provided perimeter traffic control but were not directly involved.
The violent encounter comes as the Department of Justice escalates its response to alleged obstruction of federal immigration enforcement, serving grand jury subpoenas to multiple Democratic officials in Minnesota.
Federal prosecutors have subpoenaed Gov. Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and several local officials, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, and officials from Ramsey and Hennepin counties, seeking records related to immigration enforcement actions by ICE.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche warned Walz and Ellison last week that he was “focused on stopping YOU from your terrorism by whatever means necessary.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem accused Minnesota’s top Democratic leaders of inciting violence against federal officers, according to Just the News.
The subpoenas are tied to an investigation into whether state and local officials conspired to obstruct ICE operations during Operation Metro Surge, a major enforcement effort that sparked protests and backlash in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area.
Minnesota officials confirmed receipt of the subpoenas and swiftly condemned the investigation. Walz dismissed the probe as “political theater,” while Frey accused the federal government of intimidation.
“Weaponizing the justice system against your opponents is an authoritarian tactic,” Walz said on X. “The only person not being investigated for the shooting of Renee Good is the federal agent who shot her.”
Noem rejected that claim during a media appearance, stating that the officer’s actions were reviewed under long-standing federal policies—policies that were also in place during the Biden administration.
The unfolding cases underscore the growing clash between federal immigration enforcement under President Donald J. Trump’s second-term administration and Democratic-led states that continue to resist ICE operations—often with dangerous consequences for law enforcement officers and the public.