The US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Monday that a Californian man who participated in anti-immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) riots in Los Angeles last year and set fire to a police car on a bridge has been sentenced by a federal court.
Ismael Vega, a 42-year-old man from the Westlake community in Los Angeles, was sentenced to 37 months in prison and ordered to pay $253,415 in restitution. Vega pleaded guilty on April 29 this year, admitting to obstructing, hindering, and interfering with law enforcement officers during the anti-ICE riots.
The incident took place on June 8, 2025, when Vega was among a large group of people gathered on the Main Street bridge over Highway 101. What started as a protest against federal immigration enforcement actions turned into a violent confrontation.
Prosecutors pointed out that Vega, knowing that California Highway Patrol officers were trapped under the bridge, assisted others in lighting flammable materials multiple times on the bridge and personally lit a large piece of cardboard, raised it over the railing, aimed at the patrol car’s engine hood below, and threw it down.
As the cardboard burned, another 23-year-old man, Yachua Mauricio Flores from Lincoln Heights, poured an unknown liquid onto the flames, causing the fire to spread. Vega gestured in support from the side.
Additionally, Vega admitted that he threw stones at the officers when they tried to clear the bridge. In his plea agreement, he acknowledged that his actions posed a significant risk of death or serious bodily harm to the officers below the bridge.
Prosecutor Bill Essayli, who is handling the case, warned on social media that those who attack law enforcement officers maintaining public safety will face imprisonment, using this case as a warning to others.
The case of the bridge attack on law enforcement vehicles and officers is being jointly investigated by the FBI, California Highway Patrol, and Los Angeles Police Department.
In this case, federal prosecutors have previously charged seven people, with Vega being the fifth person convicted.
Another defendant implicated in arson is Adam Charles Palermo, a 40-year-old from Rampart Village, who has admitted to attacking, resisting, and obstructing federal officers with deadly or dangerous weapons. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and his sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 14.
The sentencing hearing for another co-defendant, Flores, is set for August 3, with a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison.