A man who injured a Customs and Border Protection officer by hurling rocks through a car window during last summer’s violent anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles County pleaded guilty on Tuesday to assaulting a federal officer.
Elpidio Reyna, 41, admitted to one count of assault with a deadly or dangerous weapon resulting in bodily injury. He was one of the dozens arrested after riots erupted after Immigration and Customs Enforcement began enforcement operations in the Los Angeles area.
“This defendant could have easily killed a federal officer or innocent bystander,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “As he found out the hard way, violence against law enforcement is not constitutionally protected and will be met with swift justice. Those who engage in similar violence will be arrested, charged, and eventually convicted in a court of law.”
On June 7, 2025, Reyna joined a crowd throwing rocks and improvised explosives at federal officers operating near a Home Depot in Paramount, located about 11 miles north of Long Beach.
“Protestors, including the defendant, began to throw rocks at the officers’ official vehicles, lit objects on fire, and impeded law enforcement activity. During this, defendant knowingly and intentionally lit objects on fire in the middle of the street and threw rocks at a convoy of law enforcement vehicles occupied by Customs and Border Protection Officers,” according to the plea agreement.
One of the projectiles shattered a car window, cutting a Customs and Border Protection officer on the forehead. In video released by the Justice Department, Reyna can be seen pelting law enforcement vehicles with rocks and chunks of concrete while wearing a motorcycle helmet.
The FBI offered a $50,000 reward for Reyna after a special agent identified him through a review of TikTok videos. He was on the FBI’s most wanted list before surrendering at the U.S.-Mexico border on July 23.
Reyna faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced on August 7 by U.S. District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha. He has remained in federal custody since July 2025.
Dozens of arrests were made during the protests in June and July across the Los Angeles and San Francisco areas over federal immigration operations. The unrest prompted President Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard to protect federal personnel and property, setting off a prolonged legal battle with California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom over the troop deployment.
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