DOJ Announces Arrest of Man Who Supplied LA Rioters

The U.S. Department of Justice is filing federal charges against individuals involved in the recent unrest in Los Angeles. Among them is a man accused of supplying riot gear to demonstrators during one of the most violent nights of protests on June 9.

Bill Essayli, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, announced that Alejandro Theodoro Orellana was arrested on June 12 by FBI agents. He is charged with Conspiracy to Commit Civil Disorder (18 USC 371) after being caught on video distributing heavy-duty face shields from a black pickup truck to rioters.

Footage from Fox LA showed the handoff, with reporter Matthew Seedorff noting that the masks appeared to be for concealing identities during confrontations with police.

Essayli said the DOJ is moving quickly to arrest those who organized or supported the violence.

Another man, Adam Palermo, 39, is facing both state and federal charges for allegedly attacking police during the same unrest. He reportedly threw a large rock at a California Highway Patrol vehicle from an overpass and later set a CHP SUV on fire. He faces four felony counts of assault on a peace officer, one count of arson, and one count of vandalism.

Palermo also posted photos of the damaged police vehicles on social media, boasting about his role in the protests.

In the political aftermath, California officials criticized the federal government’s spending on troop deployments. Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass slammed the $134 million cost, calling it wasteful compared to the billions spent annually on services for illegal immigrants. Their remarks sparked pushback from conservative figures online, who accused the state of misallocating taxpayer funds.