Federal authorities have apprehended a suspect in Los Angeles believed to be connected to recent riots, marking a significant development in their investigation of organized civil unrest. The arrest came shortly after FBI Director Kash Patel announced the bureau’s commitment to investigating financial ties behind the Los Angeles riots.
Los Angeles-based U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli confirmed via social media platform X that FBI agents took Alejandro Theodoro Orellana into custody. The arrest was made based on allegations of Conspiracy to Commit Civil Disorders under federal statute 18 USC 371, specifically related to the distribution of face shields to individuals suspected of participating in Tuesday’s riots.
The Trump administration has intensified its investigation into what officials describe as a network of Democratic-affiliated
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) suspected of orchestrating the anti-ICE demonstrations that have rocked Los Angeles and threaten to spread nationwide. Law enforcement characterizes these events as following patterns similar to Marxist-inspired color revolutions, with apparent aims to challenge presidential authority through
insurrectionist activities.
Social media investigators have linked Orellana to an organization known as “Brown Berets,” though it’s important to note that this group currently holds no terrorist designation from either the FBI or the State Department’s Foreign Terrorist Organizations list.
The timing of these events coincides with provocative statements from Mexican Senate President Gerardo Fernández Noroña, who recently displayed an 1830-era map during a press conference highlighting Mexico’s historical territorial claims to California, Texas, and other southwestern U.S. states. This gesture has raised concerns about potential nationalist motivations during a period of significant civil unrest in Los Angeles, where foreign nationals and NGOs allegedly funded through dark money channels have been involved in widespread destruction, including looting, arson, and confrontations with law enforcement personnel.
Investigators believe Orellana’s role represents just one component of a larger network. Federal authorities are expanding their focus to examine the broader organizational structure, including the
involvement of NGOs, financial backers, and Democratic Party affiliates who may be orchestrating what officials describe as hybrid warfare tactics against American citizens.
The ongoing investigation reflects growing concern about coordinated efforts to generate nationwide instability and potentially undermine presidential authority. Law enforcement officials emphasize their commitment to swift action in identifying and apprehending individuals involved in organizing or supporting civil disorder in Los Angeles.
These developments underscore the complex nature of the current unrest, which has evolved beyond typical protest activities into what authorities characterize as a sophisticated operation with potential ties to various domestic and international actors. The FBI’s investigation continues to focus on tracking financial connections and organizational networks behind the riots, with particular attention to the role of NGOs and their funding sources.
As federal authorities pursue leads and make arrests, they maintain that their primary objective is to identify and disrupt the
command-and-control structures enabling these disturbances. The arrest of Orellana represents an initial step in what appears to be a broader federal effort to address organized civil unrest through systematic investigation and enforcement actions.
The situation continues to develop as law enforcement agencies coordinate their response to both the immediate crisis in Los Angeles and the potential for similar unrest in other urban centers across the country.