The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has deployed its National Response Team to Los Angeles to help investigate high-profile arson cases related to ongoing protests of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement operations in the city.
The National Response Team typically investigates large scale disasters, explosions and bombings, according to the ATF website.
ATF agents wills be working with local and state agencies, including the Los Angeles police and fire departments, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol, to investigate the circumstances that led to multiple Waymo self-driving taxis to be set on fire during the first days of the now-weeklong protest.
In addition to the Waymo vehicles, officials said several law enforcement vehicles were torched, and the LAPD headquarters in downtown was damaged by fire.
“The cause of these fires is quite obvious,” said Kenneth Cooper, ATF Special Agent in Charge of the Los Angeles Field Division. “The task at hand now is to determine who is responsible.”
The sight of large plumes of black smoke billowing from engulfed vehicles has been one of the lasting images of June’s protests, which began after federal agents began clandestine operations in the city, targeting suspected undocumented immigrants at their places of work, on the roadway, at their homes or even at churches.
While the arsons, vandalism and looting of some businesses has been disavowed by local leaders, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, the protests have garnered widespread support across the city and parts of the nation.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has accused President Donald Trump of intentionally escalating tensions by mobilizing military troops and additional federal agents to the city and turning mostly peaceful protests into a flashbulb moment for his political agenda.
As Newsom and Trump duke it out in court, and as the nation prepares for what is widely expected to be one of the largest single days of protests in recent American history, the ATF says its sole focus will be on apprehending those responsible for causing destruction during the protests.
The federal law enforcement agency is urging anyone with information about those responsible for setting the vehicles on fire to submit a tip via email or by calling 1-888-ATF-TIPS.
“We’re grateful to community members willing to step forward,” Cooper said. “The people of Los Angeles don’t deserve the destruction of their communities, and we’re here to help hold people accountable.”
A curfew in the one-square-mile of downtown L.A. at the epicenter of these anti-ICE protests will remain in place through the weekend, city officials said. Waymo has since suspended service in downtown L.A. as protests continue for the foreseeable future.