PARAMOUNT—On January 30, the U.S. Attorney’s Office of Central California issued a press release announcing the arrest of Emiliano Garduño Gálvez, 23, of Paramount.
He was sentenced by Judge André Birotte Jr. to 48 months in federal prison for lighting and throwing a Molotov cocktail at law enforcement agents during an anti-immigration riot in Paramount on June 7, 2025.
In October 2025, Gálvez pleaded guilty to one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device and one count of obstructing, impeding or interfering with law enforcement during a civil disorder. Gálvez has been in federal custody since June 2025.
On June 7, 2025, the anti-immigration protest escalated quickly. Protesters were throwing objects, including rocks, and pieces of cinder blocks at local law enforcement and federal agents. This went on for several hours. Rioters were catching objects on fire. Local businesses, including a nearby Home Depot, were forced to close temporarily for their own protection.
Prosecutors described what happened in the sentencing memorandum.
“[Gálvez] threw an incendiary device capable of killing someone. And his destructive device came far closer to injuring a civilian holding a sign, as opposed to [Gálvez’s] intended target – the sheriff’s deputies.”
The following came directly from the press release.
“Hiding behind a stone wall, Gálvez lit and threw a Molotov cocktail towards Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputies who were on duty in Paramount during the civil disorder. Gálvez admitted he threw the Molotov cocktail intending to obstruct, interfere with, and impede the sheriff’s deputies who were lawfully engaged in their official duties.
The Molotov cocktail Gálvez threw landed in a grassy area near the foot of a protestor in the crowd and approximately 15 feet from LASD deputies. Gálvez had never registered this Molotov cocktail, nor any destructive device, with the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. He then fled the area.”
First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Bill Essayli, issued the following statement.
“This defendant’s reckless behavior threatened the lives and safety of law enforcement officers and that of local lawful protesters. My office remains steadfast in its efforts to prosecute and punish those who commit violence against others.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with the assistance of the FBI and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD). Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenna W. Long of the National Security Division prosecuted this case.
