Federal authorities in Los Angeles have announced the initial outcomes of Operation Guardian Angel, a program aimed at countering California’s sanctuary state policies by issuing federal arrest warrants for criminal illegal aliens held in county jails.
Since its launch in May 2025, Operation Guardian Angel has resulted in 171 federal arrest warrants. Authorities have arrested 73 individuals at local jails and five more at county courthouses, totaling 78 arrests.
“This program’s initial results show that my office no longer stands idly by while criminal illegal aliens are released from city and county jails and onto our streets,” said Acting United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “California’s misguided sanctuary state laws and policies only protect criminal illegal aliens, which can no longer be tolerated.”
The Central District of California includes Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties. The district is estimated to have about 1.5 million illegal aliens, including gang members and other felons.
Operation Guardian Angel was created to address California laws that prevent local law enforcement from honoring administrative warrants issued by federal immigration authorities for the transfer of certain inmates into federal custody.
Officials cited two recent incidents as examples of the impact of current policies. In February 2025, José Cristian Saravia-Sánchez was accused of fatally shooting an Inglewood man during a theft attempt. Despite prior convictions and removals from the U.S., local law enforcement could not comply with an immigration detainer due to state law restrictions.
In another case on May 10, 2025, Briant Reyes Estrada was charged after his six-year-old son died when left in a parked car during a heat wave in Paso Robles. Estrada had been released from jail weeks earlier without being transferred to ICE custody under SB 54 rules. He now faces murder charges as well as federal visa fraud charges.
Operation Guardian Angel is part of broader efforts under Operation Take Back America—a national initiative led by the Department of Justice targeting illegal immigration and transnational crime through collaboration among agencies such as OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
