Molotov cocktails were recovered from the Attica prison riots in 1971. Ty 090419 Molotov Cocktail Attica Prison Riot
Los Angeles, California – Federal prosecutors have charged two men from Los Angeles County with possession of Molotov cocktails during recent civil unrest linked to protests against immigration enforcement operations, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday. The charges, which carry a potential maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, come as tensions continue to rise over the federal government’s deportation actions and the response from communities across Southern California.
Emiliano Garduno Galvez, 23, of Paramount, and Wrackkie Quiogue, 27, of Long Beach, face charges of possessing an unregistered destructive device after allegedly using or attempting to use Molotov cocktails during chaotic scenes in Paramount and downtown Los Angeles earlier this month. Both men are currently in federal custody. Authorities ordered Quiogue to be detained following an initial court appearance Tuesday, while Galvez is expected to appear in court in the coming days.
According to the Justice Department, Galvez allegedly threw a lit Molotov cocktail over a wall toward Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies who were conducting crowd control operations in Paramount on the evening of June 7. Authorities say the area was the site of protests earlier that day, sparked by news of increased immigration enforcement operations by federal agents.
Quiogue, meanwhile, was allegedly seen holding a Molotov cocktail and a lighter during unrest on June 8 near the federal buildings in downtown Los Angeles’s Civic Center. Los Angeles Police Department officers reportedly arrested him as he attempted to flee, at which point he threw the incendiary device.
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli issued a sharp statement following the charges, warning that violent acts carried out under the cover of protest would be met with harsh consequences. “Possessing a Molotov cocktail or another destructive device is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison,” he said. “We will not relent in dispensing swift justice to criminals who take advantage of our country’s freedoms to engage in lawlessness.”
Federal authorities also announced misdemeanor assault charges against two additional men, Christian Andres Garcia of Anaheim and Rene Luna of Orange. The pair allegedly threw objects at law enforcement outside a Homeland Security Investigations office in Santa Ana during a protest on June 9. Garcia reportedly hurled objects at officers, while authorities accuse Luna of throwing water bottles and beer cans. Both men were arrested and are expected to appear in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana.
The arrests show the Justice Department’s ongoing strategy of escalating federal involvement in protest-related criminal activity, particularly when national immigration policy is at the center of public unrest.
