During an interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a stern warning to individuals involved in violent protests and riots in Los Angeles over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportations. She criticized the deteriorating state of the city, likening it to a “Third World country,” and stressed the federal government’s commitment to law enforcement. Bondi made it clear that if California authorities failed to act, the Department of Justice would intervene using federal laws to prosecute anyone assaulting police, rioting, looting, or engaging in violent acts.

Bondi stated that nine individuals were already facing federal charges, with additional cases under investigation. She detailed legal tools being employed, including federal assault statutes, the Hobbs Act (commonly used in robbery and extortion cases), and other laws carrying penalties of up to 20 years. Examples cited included the use of Molotov cocktails, vandalism, and suspects throwing cinder blocks at police vehicles. Bondi emphasized that even spitting on officers would be grounds for federal charges. Her message underscored the Trump administration’s zero-tolerance policy toward civil unrest that threatens law enforcement, vowing that federal prosecution would be pursued aggressively and comprehensively.