In a revealing interview, White House Border Czar Tom Homan disclosed new details surrounding the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations that triggered a wave of violent anti-government riots in Los Angeles and beyond. Homan’s comments confirm that the targeted raid at the heart of the unrest was tied to an ongoing federal investigation into cartel-linked businesses suspected of customs fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering.
Despite claims from Governor Gavin Newsom and other California officials that violence only erupted after President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard, Homan clarified that the riots actually began Friday, when federal agents were attacked while executing warrants in the city’s Fashion District.
Appearing on Dr. Phil Primetime, Homan described the raid as part of a broader multi-agency investigation into a suspected cartel laundering network operating through U.S.-based businesses.
“This is one business out of many we’re looking at,” Homan explained. “Much of the money in this industry is laundered to Colombia and Mexico in support of cartel activities.”
The operation reportedly centered on a warehouse and retail outlet accused of undervaluing $80 million in goods to evade customs tariffs and income taxes. Homan confirmed that in addition to cartel ties, federal authorities are investigating violations of customs law, tax evasion, and customs fraud.
ICE agents arrested 45 illegal aliens during at least seven coordinated raids across Los Angeles on Friday night. The arrests yielded disturbing revelations:
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One Mexican national was previously convicted of homicide and burglary, and had already been deported and re-entered illegally.
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Mab Khleb, a 53-year-old Cambodian national, had a history including transport of controlled substances, battery, and lewd acts with a child, according to Fox 11 Los Angeles.
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Other arrestees had prior convictions for rape, drug trafficking, amphetamine manufacturing, child sex crimes, and human smuggling.
Homan emphasized that ICE’s scope includes customs enforcement, not just immigration. The raids, he said, were conducted legally and with supporting evidence. “This isn’t about politics. It’s about criminal organizations using our system to fund violence.”
The raid’s fallout has been intense. Left-wing groups, bolstered by state politicians, responded with street protests that spiraled into riots and direct assaults on federal personnel. Newsom and other Democrats accused Trump of authoritarianism, while Sen. Alex Padilla’s high-profile arrest and handcuffing at a DHS press briefing only inflamed tensions further.
But Homan’s account undercuts that narrative. The chaos wasn’t a reaction to military presence—it was a response to federal law enforcement operations targeting criminal enterprises. The Biden-era claim that ICE enforcement is inherently inhumane is, in this case, clashing with hard criminal evidence and real threats to public safety.
