A federal agent opened fire in southern California Wednesday after a criminal illegal immigrant "weaponized his vehicle and rammed law enforcement" during an attempt to evade arrest, the Department of Homeland Security told Fox News Digital.
A spokesperson said the incident happened Wednesday morning in Compton as DHS law enforcement officers were conducting a targeted operation "to arrest a violent criminal illegal alien from El Salvador, William Eduardo Moran Carballo, who is involved in a human smuggling operation and has two prior arrests for inflicting corporal injury on a spouse or cohabitant."
"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 DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement.
"The criminal illegal alien was not hit and attempted to flee on foot. He was successfully apprehended by law enforcement. The illegal alien was not injured, but a CBP officer was injured," the spokesperson added.
DHS also described the situation as "evolving" and said an immigration judge had issued Carballo a final order of removal in 2019.
"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 DHS spokesperson said. "Our officers are now facing a 3,200% increase in vehicle attacks."
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told Fox News Digital that it was aware of the incident, which happened in the 2400 block of 126th Street in unincorporated Los Angeles.
"At approximately 7:25 a.m. Century Station deputies were requested to provide outside perimeter traffic control. The Sheriff’s Department was not directly involved in the incident," the department told Fox News Digital.
Fox News Digital's Adriana James-Rodil contributed to this report.