Three men pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges for throwing rocks, fireworks and burning debris at CHP officers stuck beneath a downtown Los Angeles freeway overpass during rioting that took place last year amid the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
Ismael Vega, 41, of Westlake, and Balton Montion, 25, formerly of Los Angeles County, each pleaded guilty to one felony count of obstructing, impeding and interfering with law enforcement during a civil disorder; and Junior Roldan, 27, of Hollywood, pleaded to one misdemeanor count of simple assault on a person assisting a federal officer.
On Monday, three other defendants also pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the same incident.
Adam Palermo, 40, of Rampart Village, pleaded guilty to one felony count of assaulting, resisting and impeding persons assisting federal officers and employees with a deadly or dangerous weapon; Yachua Mauricio Flores, 23, of Lincoln Heights, pleaded to one felony count of obstructing, impeding and interfering with law enforcement during a civil disorder; and Ronald Coreas, 23, of Westlake, pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of simple assault on a person assisting a federal officer.
The incident occurred at the Main Street overpass on the Hollywood (101) Freeway during the evening of June 8, 2025, when rioters targeted law enforcement officers during a protest against enforcement of immigration laws.
According to court documents, the defendants were present at the public disturbance involving acts of violence by an assemblage of more than three individuals that caused immediate danger and resulted in damage to property or person of another individual.
Palermo, Vega and Flores were part of a group of protesters who knowingly picked up debris — including cardboard and vegetation — and fireworks, lighting them on fire and dropping them over the railing of the freeway overpass aiming for a nearby California Highway Patrol vehicle, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The debris was dropped within feet of CHP officers trapped under the overpass — and their vehicle later caught fire. Prosecutors said Flores poured a liquid increasing the size of the flames.
Montion, Coreas and Roldan threw rocks at law enforcement officers who attempted to clear the overpass, court papers show.
U.S. District Judge John Walter scheduled sentencing hearings in the coming months for the six defendants.
Palermo faces up to 20 years in federal prison, while Vega, Montion and Flores will each face up to five years behind bars at sentencing, prosecutors noted.
Roldan and Coreas will each face a possible maximum of one year in federal prison.