On a bustling downtown Los Angeles street, four masked, plainclothes federal agents forced 23-year-old Luis Hipolito to the ground, pinning him face-down on the curb as one agent wrapped an arm around his neck. For over two minutes, the agents struggled to cuff him while he appeared to gasp for breath.
“You gonna let him die?” a bystander shouted as others filmed the scene and agents held back the crowd.
When agents finally pulled Hipolito up, his legs buckled, his head flopped backward, and he began shaking violently—his convulsions resembling a seizure. The moment, captured on multiple cellphone videos and widely shared online, has ignited outrage among immigrant rights advocates and local residents, who say the arrest illustrates the dangers of aggressive federal immigration enforcement on public streets.
“This underscores the inherent risk of these at-large street arrests,” said Deborah Fleischaker, former acting chief of staff at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “The risk of harm—to the subject, officers, and public—is extremely high. And in this case, the chaos almost seems intentional.”
According to the Department of Justice, Hipolito—a U.S. citizen—was charged with assaulting a federal officer after allegedly punching one of the agents. The incident began when unidentified agents began detaining street vendors near 9th and Main Streets. Hipolito and other bystanders began filming and shouting at the agents.
In the video, one agent sprays Hipolito at close range with what his family said was pepper spray. Blinded, Hipolito appears to swipe back, and the agent’s hat is knocked off. His family insists Hipolito didn’t mean to make contact, claiming he was reacting instinctively, unable to see.
“He couldn’t see. He was disoriented and just waving his hands,” said Angela Martinez, Hipolito’s cousin. “They’re making him out to be the aggressor, but he was the one whose rights were being violated.”
Footage shows agents tackling Hipolito moments later. One holds his neck, another grabs his arms, and a third tries to restrain his legs—at one point, punching them. Hipolito’s shoe flies off during the struggle. As he gasps and convulses, an agent holds a Taser to his shoulder but does not appear to fire. Eventually, agents sit him up, wipe his face, and try to stabilize him before placing him in a vehicle.
A second U.S. citizen, 32-year-old Andrea Guadalupe Velez, was also arrested and charged with assault during the same operation. A judge released her on $5,000 bond Thursday as her tearful mother and sister looked on.
According to court documents, Velez—a Cal Poly Pomona graduate—had just been dropped off downtown when she stepped in front of an agent chasing a suspect. She stood with her arms out, and the agent ran into her, striking her head and chest. Her mother, watching from the car, thought her daughter was being kidnapped.
“They didn’t identify themselves. No badges, no plates on the cars,” said Margarita Flores, Velez’s mother. “We thought she was being abducted.”
Velez ran toward nearby LAPD officers, but agents lifted her off the ground and carried her to an SUV as a crowd screamed in protest.
“I was just going to work. Everything happened so fast,” Velez said after her release. “I didn’t even know who they were.”
Her attorney, Gregory Russell, said Velez believed she was being targeted because of her appearance.
“She thought, ‘They think I’m undocumented because of how I look,’” he said. “She raised her work bag to protect herself, instinctively.”
In a statement, DHS officials defended the arrests, claiming that assaults against agents have risen and anyone interfering with immigration operations will face prosecution.
“These U.S. citizens obstructed a lawful operation and prevented ICE from detaining its actual target,” said DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “We will prosecute anyone who puts our officers in danger.”
Court documents indicate the agents were attempting to question two individuals near a tamale and coffee stand to verify their immigration status. The suspects’ names were not disclosed.
Hipolito was reportedly part of a growing crowd of onlookers. Agents said he ignored commands to leave, was pepper-sprayed, and then punched an agent in the face. But bystander video tells a murkier story.
One clip shows a masked agent gesturing for Hipolito to step back, and then suddenly spraying him at point-blank range. Another shows the moment the crowd erupts as agents tackle him to the pavement.
The level of force and secrecy—unmarked vehicles, masked officers—has drawn intense criticism.
“This level of aggression, without identification, breeds fear and mistrust,” said Ruben Lopez, a retired LAPD SWAT lieutenant and use-of-force expert. “It’s a dangerous line to walk, especially when agencies operate without coordination. It’s a recipe for disaster.”
Lopez warned that such actions could lead to “blue-on-blue” incidents—accidental confrontations between different law enforcement agencies.
Glen Sitwell, a nearby building manager who watched from his office, said he was shocked by the agents’ behavior.
“If this keeps happening, it’s only a matter of time before someone dies,” he said. “And it won’t be an accident—it’ll be because of how this is being handled.”
