L.A. Fruit Vendor Arrested by Border Patrol While Working Says He Was Racially Profiled

Mexican authorities have confirmed that hundreds of nationals have been arrested across California since federal immigration enforcement operations began in June.

Speaking at a public hearing on Aug. 13, Carlos González Gutiérrez, Mexico’s consul general in Los Angeles, said that more than 550 Mexican citizens had been detained in recent weeks. He noted the actual number may be higher, as consular officials are only alerted if they have a detainee’s name or if the individual identifies as Mexican.

Among them is Ángel Rodrigo Minguela Palacios, a Los Angeles resident who was delivering fresh fruit in the Little Tokyo neighborhood when Border Patrol agents arrested him, according to a new report from The Los Angeles Times.

Minguela and his partner, who requested anonymity due to fear of retaliation, had been living in the United States for nearly 10 years with their three children after fleeing violence in Mexico. His partner said Minguela overstayed a tourist visa after leaving the state of Coahuila in 2015.

Before relocating to Los Angeles, Minguela worked maintaining ATMs in Coahuila, where he was kidnapped twice. In one instance, he was stabbed during an attempted robbery. He later lost his job during a wave of layoffs, which ultimately pushed him to leave Mexico in search of safety and stability, the outlet detailed.

On Aug. 15 Minguela was on his usual delivery route, dropping off fruit at local businesses. During one of the stops, Border Patrol agents approached his vehicle.

After a series of questions, Minguela gave one of the agents his California driver’s license out of fear. He said he tried to call his partner twice before being detained, but she was at a doctor’s appointment and couldn’t pick up. Minguela sent her three text messages that read “My love, immigration has taken me, don’t worry.” “Everything will be fine.” “God is going to help us a lot.”

According to the Times, the agents were responding to an intelligence report suggesting that a member of the Tren de Aragua gang was in the area. In the days following the arrest, California Gov. Gavin Newsom accused the Trump administration of using federal immigration enforcement to intimidate political opponents.

Video obtained by the outlet shows Minguela being taken into custody. Border Patrol Sector Chief Gregory Bovino, speaking to FOX 11, said Border Patrol was there to “make Los Angeles a better place, since we don’t have politicians who will do that.”

When asked whether Minguela had a criminal record, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said he had been detained for overstaying a visa.

Minguela, according to the Times, believes he was targeted because of his appearance and now faces deportation to Mexico. His attorney, Alex Galvez, said he hopes Minguela will be released on bond, pointing out that he originally entered the U.S. legally and is the primary provider for his family. Galvez also claimed the arrest may have violated a federal court order prohibiting immigration agents from racially profiling individuals or conducting roving patrols aimed at immigrants.

Last month, a federal judge temporarily blocked federal agents from using racial profiling to carry out indiscriminate immigration arrests in places such as Home Depot parking lots, agricultural fields and car washes.

“This was a political opportunity,” Galvez said. “He was one of the two people picked up during Newsom’s press conference. They needed to show results.”