Los Angeles —
Newly obtained videos shed light on the tense moments during a chaotic immigration enforcement operation in South Los Angeles that left a deputy U.S. marshal and a TikTok streamer wounded on Tuesday afternoon. The incident unfolded rapidly, with smoke, gunfire, and confusion engulfing a quiet neighborhood as federal agents attempted to arrest 44-year-old Carlitos Ricardo Parias.
Authorities confirmed that both Parias and the deputy marshal suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Federal officials said the marshal was struck by a ricochet bullet fired by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer who was aiming at Parias.
Videos Show Seconds Before Gunfire
The Los Angeles Times obtained two videos that capture both the confrontation and its aftermath.
In the first video, a gray sedan — identified by witnesses as Parias’ Toyota Camry — is seen boxed in between two unmarked law enforcement vehicles on a residential street. Thick smoke billows from the car as the engine revs loudly and erratically for nearly half a minute.
Then, a tense command breaks through the noise: “Shoot him with a pepper ball!”
Moments later, the engine noise stops — and within seconds, 11 gunshots erupt in rapid succession. The video does not show who fired the shots, nor does it clearly capture Parias’ movements inside the vehicle.
The second video reveals the moments following the gunfire. Multiple officers surround the smoke-filled sedan. They eventually open the driver’s side door and pull a man — believed to be Parias — from the vehicle. The man screams in pain as officers shout at nearby bystanders to “get back.”
Parias is then seen being placed against a wall and handcuffed while visibly injured. Several agents surround him as he continues to cry out. Firefighters arrive moments later to provide medical attention before transporting him to a nearby hospital.
Suspect Remains Hospitalized
Federal officials confirmed that Parias remained in the hospital as of Wednesday. His scheduled arraignment on a charge of assaulting a federal officer has been postponed until his release.
According to a federal criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court, agents allege that Parias rammed his car into government vehicles as they attempted to arrest him during an immigration enforcement operation. The complaint says agents had boxed him in to prevent escape, but he “accelerated aggressively,” slamming into both front and rear vehicles before smoke began to rise from his tires.
Federal Account of the Incident
Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli released a statement on X (formerly Twitter) describing the events from the federal agents’ perspective.
He wrote that Parias “rammed a Toyota Camry into law enforcement vehicles in front of and behind him, spun the tires, spewing smoke and debris into the air, causing the car to fishtail and causing agents to worry for their safety.”
Essayli confirmed that an agent then opened fire, injuring both Parias and a deputy marshal, who was struck by a ricocheted bullet. “Both are expected to recover,” he added.
Operation Background
An affidavit from a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent detailed that the ICE and the U.S. Marshals Service were conducting a targeted operation to locate and arrest Parias, who was wanted on an administrative immigration warrant.
Agents had been surveilling a home in the 400 block of 20th Street in South L.A., where they believed Parias was staying. The warrant was linked to an ongoing federal immigration proceeding. Authorities said this was not their first attempt to apprehend him — previous efforts to detain Parias had failed after he allegedly evaded capture.
While federal officials have not disclosed further details about Parias’ immigration case, public records show he is a content creator who frequently posted short videos on TikTok under various usernames. Some of his online activity appeared to document encounters with law enforcement, raising questions about whether he may have been live-streaming during Tuesday’s confrontation.
Community Response and Investigation
The videos have quickly circulated across social media, sparking heated debate over the use of force by federal officers and the role of social media in escalating confrontations.
Civil rights advocates have called for transparency, urging the Department of Justice and ICE to release full body-camera footage and a detailed incident report. Meanwhile, federal authorities have launched an internal review into the shooting.
Residents of the neighborhood described the scene as “terrifying.” One witness told reporters she heard “rapid gunfire” and saw “smoke everywhere.” Another resident, who declined to be identified, said she initially thought it was “a movie being filmed” until she saw officers with guns drawn.
What Happens Next
As Parias remains under federal custody at the hospital, his attorney has not yet issued a statement. The U.S. Attorney’s Office said formal court proceedings will resume once he is medically cleared.
Both the injured deputy marshal and the ICE agent involved in the shooting are on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, which will determine whether proper use-of-force protocols were followed.
For now, the videos — and the still-unfolding accounts from federal agencies — have turned a routine enforcement operation into a flashpoint over policing tactics, transparency, and the boundaries between online fame and real-world consequences.