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Anti-ICE rioters may face domestic terrorism federal charges as Trump admin sends stern message: ret FBI agent
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As the anti-ICE riots and unrest continue in Los Angeles and across many major U.S. cities, a retired FBI agent says serious charges could be coming against those who are wreaking havoc.
“Federal authorities may describe violent actions during protests as ‘domestic terrorism’ if there is evidence the individuals intended to intimidate the public or influence government decisions through force,” Jason Pack, a retired FBI special agent, told Fox News Digital.
“While federal law defines domestic terrorism, there is no specific criminal charge by that name,” Pack explained.
A spokesperson for the Department of Justice told Fox News Digital that “nothing is off the table” at this point.
TOM COTTON PUSHES NEW CRACKDOWN ON PRO-IMMIGRATION RIOTERS IN LOS ANGELES, CITING ICE ASSAULTS
A protester waves a combined US-Mexican flag as law enforcement clashes with demonstrators during a protest following federal immigration operations, in the Compton neighborhood of Los Angeles, California on June 7, 2025. (RINGO CHIU/AFP via Getty Images)
“As directed by the Attorney General, this Department of Justice will charge the most serious readily provable offenses. In each of these cases, we are carefully following the evidence to seek the strongest sentences permissible by law against these domestic terrorists, and nothing is off the table.”
Pack added that prosecutors would “typically use existing laws to file charges such as arson, assault on federal officers, destruction of property, or conspiracy.”
“Importantly, peaceful protesters who exercise their First Amendment rights without violence are not subject to terrorism investigations or charges. The term is only applied when criminal acts cross the line into ideologically driven violence,” Pack said.
Pack said while there is no “specific crime called domestic terrorism” in U.S. law, the government still uses that term to describe certain dangerous acts.
“If someone commits a violent crime — like setting fires, attacking police, or destroying government property — and they do it to scare people or push a political belief, the FBI can treat it as domestic terrorism,” Pack explained.
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A Department of Justice spokesperson said “nothing is off the table” looking at potential charges for “domestic terrorists.” (Getty)
John Yoo, a former deputy assistant attorney general and UC Berkeley law professor, echoed Pack and said that the Department of Justice (DOJ) “has plenty of grounds to charge people with obstruction of federal officers and of justice.”
Pack emphasized again that this does not apply to peaceful demonstrators, only “those who commit or plan acts of violence with political motive.”
“While the actual charges come from other criminal laws, the terrorism label can lead to more serious investigations and tougher sentences,” Pack said.
Protesters attempt to light a Molotov cocktail as a firework explodes during a protest in Compton, Calif., Saturday, June 7, 2025, after federal immigration authorities conducted operations. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
However, Pack said that “protest-related violence” that is carried out by individuals with anarchist or anti-government beliefs is more likely to be labeled as domestic terrorism.
“Federal agencies like the FBI and Department of Homeland Security consider anarchist violent extremists part of the domestic terrorism threat landscape, especially when violence is organized, politically motivated, and targets law enforcement or government institutions,” Pack said.
“The anarchists plan before they even show up. They use encrypted messaging apps like Signal and Telegram to coordinate everything: where to meet, who brings what. They discuss how to blend in, where to watch police, and how to respond when law enforcement pushes back,” Pack continued.
Pack said that law enforcement analysts are placing the blame for these escalating riots on a core group of organized anarchists, made up of about 60 individuals, who slipped into the protest crowds.
Police detain a man during a protest in Paramount, Calif., Saturday, June 7, 2025, after federal immigration authorities conducted operations. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
“They didn’t come to march. They came to carry out a plan they’ve been developing for years. Slogans aren’t their thing. They rely on structure. And when they hit the streets, it shows,” Pack said.
“Many arrive late, dressed in black. They quickly change clothes afterward to avoid being identified,” he continued. “They know where cameras are, how to create gaps in police lines, and how to spark crowd reactions that lead to violence.”
Pack said that these specific types of agitators are “on a mission to steal trust by hijacking peaceful protests.”
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Los Angeles County Sheriffs stand during a protest in Compton, Calif., Saturday, June 7, 2025, after federal immigration authorities conducted operations. (Ethan Swope/The Associated Press)
“When these groups act, they don’t start small. They target highly visible places — bridges, courthouses, highways. They use distractions and speed, forcing police to react, then record that reaction. Their goal is to provoke. The video becomes fuel, spreading fast on social media to draw in more people and keep tensions high,” Pack said.
Pack also referred to these tactics working in the 2020 George Floyd and Antifa riots, which is why they are using them again now, he said, except now they are becoming more sophisticated.
“They turn public anger into confrontation, then disappear into the smoke, leaving communities to deal with the damage. Their methods are professional,” Pack described.
“Their motives are radical, and their impact is growing.”
Sen. Tom Cotton introduced two new bills designed to place more strict consequences on violent protesters, specifically those who are targeting federal agents or are in the country illegally.
“Rioters who assault ICE officers and engage in acts of violence should face stiff consequences,” Cotton said in a statement. “My bill makes clear that Americans will not tolerate lawless rioting and is a guardrail from pro-crime prosecutors that fail to enforce the law.”
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The FBI said that it would be investigating and looking into any organized effort that was created to cause chaos in Los Angeles.
Hundreds have been arrested in Los Angeles as cars have been burned and tensions between rioters and law enforcement have continued to intensify.
During an interview on “The Claman Countdown” last week, L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman issued a warning to violent rioters.
“We’re coming after those criminals because they’re using this protest and otherwise legitimate protest to commit these violent and criminal acts. We’re gonna hold them accountable, and they’ll be brought to justice,” Hochman vowed.
President Trump has received pushback from several Democrat lawmakers after deploying 700 U.S. Marines to assist the police and National Guard in restoring the peace in Los Angeles.
“President Trump will always support and defend the brave law enforcement officers who are being attacked by the violent left-wing rioters. Those who target law enforcement officials will be held accountable to the full extent of the law,” Abigail Jackson, White House spokeswoman, told Fox News Digital.
Appearing on Fox News last week, Cotton argued it was not the deployment of federal resources or deportation efforts that were “provocative,” but rather the behavior of protesters.
“It’s not provocative to enforce federal law. It’s not provocative to do what President Trump campaigned on,” he said.
“What’s provocative is to have all of these illegal aliens setting cars on fire while waving foreign flags — and now being joined by professional agitators from Antifa and pro-Hamas sympathizers.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com
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A man is dead after a brutal stabbing inside a San Francisco hospital and now federal immigration officials are pointing squarely at California’s sanctuary policies and the Biden administration’s border decisions as contributing factors.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is urging Governor Gavin Newsom and state officials not to release the suspect, a Venezuelan national in the country illegally who had previously been encountered and released by Border Patrol.
Wilfredo Jose Tortolero-Arriechi is accused of fatally stabbing 51-year-old Alberto Rangel inside Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital on December 4. Rangel succumbed to his injuries two days later, on December 6.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, ICE has already lodged a detainer request to keep Tortolero-Arriechi in custody — a request that now hangs in the balance in a state that has repeatedly clashed with federal immigration enforcement.
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Alberto Rangel, 51, died after being stabbed inside Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital in San Francisco on Dec. 4, 2025. (Department of Homeland Security)
“If it weren’t for the Biden administration’s reckless open-border policies, Alberto Rangel would still be alive,” Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement, directly tying the killing to federal immigration policy. She also called on Newsom to ensure the suspect is not released, blasting sanctuary policies that she says “put American lives at risk.”
The suspect had reportedly displayed alarming behavior in the weeks leading up to the attack, allegedly threatening hospital staff and his own doctor before the deadly stabbing unfolded.
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Wilfredo Jose Tortolero-Arriechi, a Venezuelan national in the U.S. illegally, is charged in the fatal stabbing of Alberto Rangel at a San Francisco hospital. (Department of Homeland Security)
Federal officials say Tortolero-Arriechi was first encountered by U.S. Border Patrol in 2023 and then released into the country. The case is adding new fuel to the fight over California’s sanctuary policies.
Earlier this year, ICE revealed that more than 33,000 criminal illegal immigrants are currently in custody across California with active detainers, including individuals accused or convicted of serious crimes such as homicide, sexual assault and drug trafficking.
Despite that, officials say thousands have been released.
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Since January 2026 alone, California jurisdictions have declined to honor ICE detainers in more than 4,500 cases, according to the agency. Those releases included individuals tied to dozens of homicides, hundreds of assaults and a wide range of other violent and drug-related offenses, ICE said.
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The latest push from federal officials builds on earlier warnings. In February, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons sent a letter to California Attorney General Rob Bonta urging him to “put the safety of Americans first” by honoring detainers for more than 33,000 criminal illegal immigrants in state custody.
Lyons warned that “no community serious about keeping its residents safe will tolerate a clear aberration of the law,” pressing California officials to cooperate with ICE and take “the worst of the worst off the streets.”
Meanwhile, Alberto Rangel’s death is now being used by federal officials to underscore what they argue are the real-world consequences of those policies.
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California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is being criticized by angel mother Agnes Gibboney (far right), whose son, Ronald da Silva, was killed by an illegal immigrant gang member in 2002. (Carlin Stiehl/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images; White House)
Newsom’s office pushed back on that characterization, saying the state’s approach prioritizes accountability and public safety.
“If someone commits a serious crime, they should be held accountable in our justice system,” a spokesperson for Newsom’s office told Fox News Digital. “Allowing someone to evade responsibility simply by being deported undermines the rule of law and completely disrespects the victims harmed by that crime. Our focus must always be to ensure those who commit violent acts face their consequences here.”
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A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Jan. 20, 2026, that a criminal illegal alien allegedly weaponized his vehicle to ram law enforcement officers in Compton, Calif., in an attempt to evade arrest. (KTTV)
The governor’s office also pointed to California’s record of cooperating with federal immigration authorities in certain cases, noting that, since 2019, the state has coordinated the transfer of more than 12,000 individuals, including those convicted of serious and violent crimes, into ICE custody.
Officials added that state law allows coordination with ICE for individuals convicted of serious felonies or those facing credible charges, and said California does not interfere with federal immigration enforcement.
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They also argued that federal authorities do not always take custody of individuals when detainers are issued, claiming ICE fails to pick up roughly one in eight people released from state prisons who have immigration holds.
Tortolero-Arriechi remains in custody at the San Francisco County Jail, where he faces homicide and weapons charges, as pressure mounts on California leaders over whether they will comply with federal requests to keep him there.
In a statement issued after his death in December 2025, SEIU Local 521 Chief Elected Officer Riko Mendez said, “Our hearts are with the family, friends, and coworkers of Alberto Rangel,” remembering him as a dedicated social worker.
On a night when the Atlanta Hawks’ season ended with a 51-point beating from the New York Knicks, the Denver Nuggets may have managed to outdo them on the “embarrassing closeout losses” scale.
The Minnesota Timberwolves played Thursday’s Game 6 without Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo and Ayo Dosunmu, and they still bullied their way to a 110-98 victory.
And the Nuggets’ 2025-26 season is now over.
After entering it with title aspirations, Denver could easily be seen as one of the NBA’s most disappointing teams. They were seventh in the league in regular-season net rating and 21st in defensive rating. They got embarrassed by a lower seed in the first round.
Yes, injuries had their say. Nikola Jokić, Aaron Gordon, Cameron Johnson, Christian Braun and Peyton Watson all missed significant time. Gordon and Watson didn’t play in Thursday’s Game 6.
But even with that context in mind, Denver came up well shy of its potential. And that could mean a dramatic summer.
Given the Nuggets’ early exits from each of the last three postseasons, few would bat an eye over anything short of a Jokić trade. But it may be difficult to truly overhaul the roster through trades.
The last two front offices have already spent pretty much every available trade asset. So, what should be the priorities in this between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place offseason? The answer is below.
With the calendar flipping to May and first month of the MLB season in the books, it’s a good time to check in on some notable former Seattle Mariners to see how they’re doing with new teams.
How Seattle Mariners’ ABS usage stacks up with rest of MLB
As it turns out, a number of players who were with the Mariners last season and on new teams this year are currently injured, including some names that didn’t make the cut for the list below like Caleb Ferguson and Tyler Locklear.
Below is a look at how several notable former Mariners have fared through the first month of the 2026 campaign.
Jorge Polanco
Polanco, who signed a two-year, $40 million deal with the New York Mets during the offseason, got off to a slow start with his new team and is currently on the 10-day injured list with a right wrist contusion. He was also playing through left Achilles bursitis before landing on the IL.
In 14 games, the switch-hitting Polanco is slashing .179/.246/.286 with a .532 OPS, one homer, three doubles, five walks and 11 strikeouts.
Eugenio Suárez
Suárez, a fan favorite in Seattle who signed a one-year, $15 million deal to return to the Cincinnati Reds during the offseason, was placed on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a left oblique strain. Before landing on the IL, he was also off to a bit of a slow start.
In 25 games, Suárez is slashing .231/.300/.363 with a .663 OPS, three homers, three doubles, nine walks and 30 strikeouts.
Harry Ford
Ford, who was traded to the Washington Nationals in an offseason deal that brought left-hander Jose A. Ferrer to Seattle, was assigned to Triple-A at the start of the season and has struggled at the plate early on.
In 20 games with Triple-A Rochester, he’s slashing .182/.289/.221 with a .510 OPS, three doubles, 10 walks and 26 strikeouts. Ford produced an .868 OPS and hit 16 homers in 97 games with Triple-A Tacoma last year.
Leody Taveras
Taveras, who struggled to find his footing in 28 games with the Mariners last season, isn’t necessarily a notable former Mariner, but he stands out due to the rebound season he’s starting to put together with the Baltimore Orioles following two rough years at the plate.
After signing a one-year deal with Baltimore in the offseason, Taveras is slashing .288/.397/.455 with an .852 OPS, two homers, three doubles, one triple, 12 walks and 16 strikeouts. He’s also tied for third on the team with 17 RBIs.
Tayler Saucedo
Saucedo, a product of Maple Valley’s Tahoma High School, was designated for assignment during the offseason before signing a minor league deal with the Los Angeles Angels. He is currently pitching for Triple-A Salt Lake.
Saucedo has a 4.85 ERA and has struck out 13 batters over 13 innings in 11 appearances. He’s allowed seven runs on 12 hits and 10 walks.
Dylan Moore
Moore, who was the longest-tenured Mariners player when he was released amid a career-worst slump in August 2025, signed a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies over the offseason and was awarded a major-league deal after opting out of his initial contract in March.
Moore is still in search of his first hit with the Phillies. He’s 0 for 11 at the plate with three walks and five strikeouts in 13 games.
Trent Thornton
Thornton, who missed the final two months of last season with a torn left Achilles, elected free agency after being non-tendered by the M’s over the offseason. He signed a minor league deal with the Chicago Cubs and was recently activated to Triple-A Iowa for his first game action since the Achilles injury.
In two outings (one start), Thornton has struck out four batters and allowed one run on three hits and one walk over 3 2/3 innings.
More on the Seattle Mariners
• How can Kade Anderson help Seattle Mariners this year? Passan’s take
• Two things we know, two questions we have a month into Mariners’ season
• Where things stand with Seattle Mariners’ Brendan Donovan, Bryce Miller
• Seattle Mariners’ Matt Brash details side issue, doesn’t think it’s serious
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