Border Patrol switches up tactics to apprehend illegal immigrants in Los Angeles

U.S. Border Patrol agents operating in Los Angeles have come up with a novel way to avoid detection as they approach areas where illegal immigrants are known to gather.

Far-left groups in Southern California have been posting federal vehicle models and license plates to their followers on social media to alert illegal immigrants, if they see those vehicles. On Wednesday, Border Patrol agents raided a Home Depot parking lot and caught suspected illegal aliens by surprise by arriving in a box truck.

The name of the operation was Operation Trojan Horse.

The unmarked vehicles used by federal agents are usually SUVs and sedans.

Fox News correspondent Matt Finn was embedded with Border Patrol for the operation. He posted video to X of the moment the agents jumped out of the truck. Once people in the parking lot realized what was happening, some started to run away.

"DHS says MS-13 has a chokehold on this area, which is one reason they're carrying out the highly optic immigration raids. 16 taken into custody," Finn reported. Just as quickly as the agents arrived, the operation ended before any protesters or bystanders could interfere.

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Julio Rosas/Blaze Media

The Home Depot where the operation took place is located near MacArthur Park, where another high-profile operation took place as a show of force to both illegal aliens and Democratic leaders in the state. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) showed up to the scene shortly after the operation started and demanded to speak to the agent in charge before leaving.

In a statement to Blaze News, a DHS spokesperson confirmed that "Border Patrol conducted a targeted raid, dubbed Trojan Horse, in Los Angeles at a Home Depot that resulted in the arrest of 16 illegal aliens from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, and Nicaragua."

After hearing reports that one of its vehicles was used in the operation, Penske released a statement promising its customers that the company was not made aware of agents using a vehicle for an operation beforehand and "did not authorize this."

"Penske will reach out to DHS and reinforce its policy to avoid improper use of its vehicles in the future," the company added.

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