A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer was injured in a targeted operation Wednesday morning in Compton, south of downtown Los Angeles. The operation aimed to detain William Eduardo Moran Carballo, described as a “violent criminal” from El Salvador by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The incident began shortly after 7 a.m. when Carballo attempted to evade arrest by ramming his vehicle into law enforcement officers. In response, a federal agent discharged their weapon, although Carballo escaped unharmed. The injury sustained by the CBP officer involved in the operation remains unclear at this time.
DHS reported that Carballo, who has a history of human smuggling and prior arrests related to domestic violence, faced a final removal order by an immigration judge in 2019.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to the scene around 7:25 a.m., where a damaged BMW sedan was found crashed against a curb with a deployed airbag on the driver’s side. Eyewitness accounts from a live-streamed video captured the tension in the neighborhood, with one bystander urging federal agents to leave the area as onlookers gathered near the police barricades.
As the situation continues to develop, authorities are expected to provide more information in the coming days. The incident highlights ongoing enforcement challenges in addressing violent crime, human trafficking, and immigration matters in the Los Angeles area.