DOJ indicts suspect who went viral for delivering protective gear to anti-ICE protesters on live TV
A man who went viral after he was captured on live TV allegedly dropping off a pickup truck full of face shields for protesters to use amid demonstrations and riots in Los Angeles last month was indicted Wednesday.
Alejandro Orellana, 29, is charged with conspiracy to aid and abet civil disorders.
Federal prosecutors said Orellana met up with other people on June 9 to load up his Ford F-150 pickup truck with Uvex brand Bionic Face Shields, masks, water bottles and other items as anti-ICE protests raged in Los Angeles.
He then drove the truck to a crowd of protesters and distributed the items, the Justice Department said.
"We have made it a huge priority to try to identify, locate and arrest those who are involved in organizing, supporting, funding or facilitating these riots," U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli told Fox News at the time of Orellana's arrest.
LA ANTI-ICE RIOTERS FACE NEW CHARGES AS VIOLENCE RAGES
"It appears they're well-orchestrated and coordinated and well-funded, so we want to understand who these people are and where this organization's coming from, and today was one of those first arrests, the key arrests that we did," he added.
A group Orellana is allegedly associated with, CENTRO CSO, is raising funds for his legal defense and is planning a protest on Thursday to demand the charges against him are dropped.
"Orellana is facing 5 years for protesting ICE Raids, Protesting is Not a Crime! Alejandro did nothing wrong!" the group wrote on Instagram.
Locally, more than 40 people have been charged with offenses stemming from violent riots against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) efforts last month.
The charges came after protests and riots erupted in and around Los Angeles amid the Trump administration's mass deportation operations targeting criminal illegal immigrants.