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The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives deployed national response teams to Los Angeles to help investigate famous arson cases related to the city’s ongoing protests of immigration and customs enforcement operations.
According to the ATF website, national response teams are usually investigating large-scale disasters, explosions and bombings.
The ATF Agent’s Will will work with local and state agencies, including the Los Angeles Police Department and Fire Department, the LA County Sheriff’s Department, and the California Highway Patrol, to investigate the situation that multiple Waymo self-driving taxis began to burn on the first day of the weekly protest.
Protesters are holding signs as Waymo taxis are on fire following an immigrant raid protest near the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eric Sayer)
In addition to the Waymo vehicle, officials said several law enforcement agencies were torched and downtown’s LAPD headquarters were damaged by the fire.
“The causes of these fires are very clear,” said Kennescooper, ATF special agent responsible for the Los Angeles Field division. “The task at hand at the moment is to determine who is responsible.”
The sight of black smoke from a large plume from the engulfed vehicle was one of the lasting images of the June protest that began after federal agents launched a secret secret operation in the city, targeting immigrants who have not been documented on roads, homes, or even churches, workplaces, or even roads.
Federal agents will detain dozens of people following immigration enforcement efforts in downtown Los Angeles on June 6, 2025 (KTLA)
Local leaders, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, have denied vandalism and looting of some businesses, but the protests have gained widespread support in the city and parts of the country.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom accused President Donald Trump of intentionally escalating tensions by mobilizing the troops and additional federal agents to the city, turning almost peaceful protests into flash-valve moments for his political agenda.
As Newsom and Trump make it public in court and prepare for what the nation is widely expected to be one of the biggest protests in recent American history, the ATF says its sole focus is on arresting those responsible for causing the destruction during the protest.
Federal law enforcement is urging anyone with information about the person responsible for setting the vehicle on fire to submit a tip by email or by calling 1-888-ATF-TIPS.
“We are grateful to the members of our community who are willing to move forward,” Cooper said. “The people in Los Angeles don’t deserve to destroy their community. We’re here to help keep people accountable.”
The one-square-mile curfew in downtown L.A., located at the epicenter of these anti-ice protests, will remain surviving throughout the weekend, city officials said. Waymo has halted services in downtown LA due to protests continuing in the near future.
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