LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Two Los Angeles County men have been charged with possessing Molotov cocktails during recent protests in downtown Los Angeles and Paramount stemming from federal immigration enforcement operations.
Emiliano Garduno Galvez, 23, of Paramount, and Wrackkie Quiogue, 27, of Long Beach, were each charged in federal court with possession of an unregistered destructive device, which carries a possible sentence of up to 10 years in prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Quiogue was ordered to remain detained during his initial court appearance on Tuesday. Galvez was ordered held without bond at a hearing Wednesday afternoon in federal court in Santa Ana.
U.S. District Judge Autumn Spaeth noted a risk of flight and an attempt to obstruct justice as well as his criminal history as reason for denying bond for Galvez. She said Galvez’s past criminal history includes driving under the influence, obstruction of a police officer, resisting arrest, driving without a license and that he was wanted on a warrant out of state court.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Yang told the judge Galvez “overstayed a visa” for more than a decade.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint against Galvez, on Saturday night in Paramount, Galvez allegedly lit and threw a Molotov cocktail over a wall where Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies were engaging in crowd control, then ran away.
Federal officials said a crowd had gathered in that area earlier in the day near a staging area for federal agents who were preparing for an immigration enforcement operation.
An affidavit filed with the Quiogue charges contend that he possessed a Molotov cocktail on Sunday while holding a lighter during protests near the federal buildings in downtown Los Angeles. The document contends Los Angeles Police Department officers saw Quiogue with the device and quickly arrested him, but he threw the device as he was attempting to flee.
“When protesting crosses the line into violence, the penalties will be severe,” U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement. “Possessing a Molotov cocktail or another destructive device is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison.
“The vile attacks such as the ones alleged in these complaints could have resulted in life-altering or life-ending injuries to police officers, sheriff’s deputies, and innocent bystanders. We will not relent in dispensing swift justice to criminals who take advantage of our country’s freedoms to engage in lawlessness.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said Galvez had been previously deported and had a criminal record.
“It turns out that Emiliano Garduno-Galvez — the Mexican national charged with attempted murder after throwing a Molotov cocktail at federal officers during the violent riots in Los Angeles — already had a criminal record,” ICE said in a social media post Thursday morning.
“Last year, he was arrested twice by local police in California: Anaheim police GRAND THEFT. Long Beach police DUI.
“WE ALREADY DEPORTED HIM ONCE.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also announced that Christian Andres Garcia, 32, of Anaheim, and Rene Luna, 43, of Orange, were charged with assault on a federal officer, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in federal prison, stemming from violence at recent rallies in Santa Ana.
Spaeth allowed both defendants to post $10,000 bonds but ordered both to surrender their passports, remain within the Central District of California and consume no alcohol or drugs and avoid coming within 100 yards of any federal building. They are both subject to a curfew that will be determined by pretrial services.
Spaeth scheduled preliminary hearings for them on July 2.
Garcia, who works as a photographer, said he sometimes has jobs in San Diego but won’t be able to do them without permission from pretrial services. He also said he had potential jobs shooting weddings in Mexico.
“That’s not going to be allowed,” Spaeth said.
According to court documents, Garcia allegedly threw objects at law enforcement personnel stationed outside a Homeland Security Investigations office in Santa Ana on Monday. Luna allegedly threw water bottles and beer cans at officers during the same protest.
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