LOS ANGELES — A South Los Angeles couple has been charged with federal crimes after allegedly attempting to block and pursue immigration agents with their vehicle during an operation earlier this year, authorities said Wednesday.
Gustavo Torres, 28, and Kiara Jaime-Flores, 34, are facing charges of conspiracy to impede or injure federal officers, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The charges stem from a February 28 incident involving agents from the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection as they executed search warrants in the Florence neighborhood of South L.A.
Court documents indicate that a small crowd gathered outside a home targeted in the operation. At approximately 9:32 a.m., three federal law enforcement vehicles left the location with unspecified “evidence.” It remains unclear whether any individuals were taken into custody.
According to a federal affidavit, Jaime-Flores was seen standing next to a gray Honda Fit near the home. That same vehicle later blocked the agents’ path at the intersection of 61st Street and Broadway. While agents managed to navigate around the car, Torres allegedly drove in front of one of the vehicles and “brake checked” them—suddenly slowing down in a way that impeded their travel—before pulling into a gas station and trailing them for about two miles.
Authorities used local surveillance footage to identify the license plate on the Honda Fit, which led them to Jaime-Flores. On May 5, a federal agent interviewed her during a traffic stop, during which she admitted to driving the car with an expired license. She reportedly told the agent that she and Torres had gone to the location after seeing posts about the immigration activity on social media and expressed opposition to the agents’ actions.
Jaime-Flores consented to a search of her phone, where agents found deleted photos of the home from the day of the raid. One image included a caption that read: “We Try to Stop But I Can’t Do It Alone! We Need to Stick Together To Stop Them For as Long As We Can! Please Let’s Fight Together In A Good Way! Somos Mas Gente Que Officiales migra!”—Spanish for “There are more of us than immigration officers.”
During the stop, she was placed in an Inglewood Police Department cruiser and read her Miranda rights. She agreed to speak with agents and later called Torres, telling him to meet with federal officials because “we did nothing wrong,” according to the affidavit.
Torres voluntarily met with an agent at a business in Santa Fe Springs. Though he was not placed under arrest, he admitted during the interview to blocking the immigration vehicles and following them. Torres, who also had a suspended driver’s license, reportedly told the agent, “We thought that it’d be a good idea… maybe if it was immigration they were taking someone’s family member unjustified.”
When confronted with additional surveillance images, Torres expressed regret. “I know, it was so stupid, and I would never do that in my life,” he told the agent. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”
The couple is expected to appear in federal court Wednesday afternoon. It remains unclear whether they have obtained legal counsel.
Immigrant rights groups have denounced the arrests, calling them an attempt by federal authorities to intimidate activists. Ron Gochez, a volunteer with Unión del Barrio—a community organization that monitors immigration enforcement activity—criticized the charges as a threat to community organizing.
Gochez, who said he does not know Torres or Jaime-Flores, emphasized that volunteers are trained and operate within the law. “We will absolutely not stop trying to inform the community about their legal rights,” he told The Times. “We’re going to continue to organize.”
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