“Trojan Horse” Raid: Federal Agents Detain 16 Migrants at Los Angeles Home Depot

• Immigration raid at Home Depot
• 16 migrants detained through deception
• Activists denounce judicial violations

According to Telemundo, Border Patrol agents carried out a covert raid in front of a Home Depot in the Westlake neighborhood near downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday morning.

The operation, named “Trojan Horse,” resulted in the arrest of 16 undocumented immigrants from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), agents arrived in a van and a Penske moving truck to catch workers in the area by surprise.

The operation took place just three blocks from MacArthur Park, an area with a high migrant population and the recent site of other federal interventions.

Arrests Through Operation «Trojan Horse» Spark Outrage

Federal Agents and ICE are now using Penske trucks to hide and maneuver the TRO. They are updating their tactics to further conceal themselves.

This happened today, August 6, 2025 around 6:40am at the Home Depot in Westlake/MacArthur Park in Los Angeles. Around 10pm taken pic.twitter.com/UCMsCMlOy3

— machi 🇵🇸 (@mcdnldhashbrown) August 6, 2025

Videos recorded by witnesses and shared on social media show agents in tactical gear jumping out of the truck and intercepting people in front of the store.

Content creator Miguel Pu witnessed the raid and reported that the workers were deceived into the arrest.

According to Pu, a man in plain clothes rolled down the window of the yellow truck and shouted, “I need 10 workers.”

Some approached, and when the back door was lifted, they were met by masked agents ready to apprehend them.

Immigration Raid Caught on Camera by Witnesses

This is Operation «Trojan Horse.»

Federal agents in the U.S., hidden in a moving truck, arrived at a Home Depot parking lot in Los Angeles, California, to pursue migrants.

Despite a judge’s order banning indiscriminate arrests, 16… pic.twitter.com/N9JH4LPx5L

— Joaquín López-Dóriga (@lopezdoriga) August 6, 2025

“The driver didn’t have a uniform—he looked like a civilian,” said Pu, who recorded the moment on his phone.

“They also grabbed three food vendors nearby. They couldn’t get away,” he added.

Another worker, identified as Eduardo, managed to avoid arrest by sheer instinct.

“I had a feeling that if I kept walking, they’d catch me. I saw the agents jump out of the truck and ran,” he said.

Activists Accuse Violation of Court Order

Eduardo criticized the fact that these operations target workers instead of criminals.

“We’re not criminals. We run because they’re tricking us in the worst way,” he said.

Activists pointed out that this raid took place despite an existing court order limiting immigration detentions in California.

The ruling, issued by federal judge Maame E. Frimpong, prohibits arrests without reasonable suspicion that the person is violating immigration laws.

Government Stands by Its Immigration Strategy

Isai, a migrant rights advocate, said federal authorities are acting “completely outside the law.”

“They’re getting people to incriminate themselves. If you run, they catch you. If you stay, sometimes nothing happens,” he explained.

The operation drew swift reaction on social media, including from federal prosecutor Bill Essayli, who shared a video of the raid.

“For those who thought immigration laws didn’t apply in Southern California—think again,” he wrote.

Past Raids Show Pattern Across California

Meanwhile, Penske Trucking Company clarified in a statement that it did not authorize the use of its trucks for this raid.

“Penske prohibits the transport of people in the cargo area of its vehicles under any circumstances,” the company stated.

This operation is part of a string of raids carried out since June at various Home Depot stores, car washes, and other businesses in Southern California.

Last month, federal agents arrested 37 people at three different locations in Los Angeles County.

Immigration Raid Conducted Despite Legal Restrictions

These actions are part of the mass deportation plan promoted by President Trump in his second term.

The government has emphasized the arrest of individuals with criminal records, but it has also confirmed the detention of asylum seekers and migrants with no criminal background.

ICE data reveals that as of July 17, more than 56,000 migrants have been detained in the country since Trump returned to office.

Of that total, 29% had criminal convictions; 24.7% faced pending charges; and authorities classified 46.8% as “other immigration violators.”