If there’s one thing President Donald Trump promised, it was to restore law and order in a country that’s spent the past decade looking more like a Mad Max sequel than the land of the free. And judging by the federal charges just handed down in Los Angeles, that promise is no idle tweet.
This week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California announced criminal charges against two men — Emiliano Garduno Galvez, 23, and Wrackkie Quiogue, 27 — for allegedly bringing Molotov cocktails to the “mostly peaceful” riots in downtown LA and Paramount. You know, just your everyday constitutional protest… with explosives.
According to the Justice Department, both men are facing federal charges for possessing incendiary weapons — which, in case anyone was wondering, is illegal. These aren’t just kids with signs and megaphones. These are men allegedly showing up to protests with firebombs and lighters, presumably to make a point about compassion and justice or whatever CNN calls it this week.
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli didn’t mince words: “When protesting crosses the line into violence, the penalties will be severe.” He went on to remind everyone that possessing a Molotov cocktail can land you 10 years in federal prison. Ten. Years.
“These vile attacks could have resulted in life-altering or life-ending injuries to police officers, sheriff’s deputies, and innocent bystanders,” Essayli said. “We will not relent in dispensing swift justice to criminals who take advantage of our country’s freedoms to engage in lawlessness.”
In other words, don’t expect the Trump administration to offer milk and cookies to anarchists throwing firebombs at federal buildings.
The two suspects are in custody. According to local station KNBC-TV, Galvez was seen lighting and tossing a Molotov cocktail over a wall while police officers attempted to disperse a crowd. So far, no reports of injuries, but let’s not kid ourselves — if that device had landed differently, this could have ended in disaster.
Quiogue, on the other hand, allegedly had an unlit Molotov and a lighter on him outside a federal building. When approached by officers, he reportedly ran and tossed the cocktail. Yes, he brought a Molotov cocktail to a federal building and thought he could just jog it off when confronted.
But wait — there’s more. Two others, Christian Andres Garcia, 32, and Rene Luna, 43, were also charged — this time with assault on a federal officer during a protest in Santa Ana. These aren’t felony charges, but they still carry up to a year behind bars.
As the chaos continues in California, one thing is crystal clear: the Trump administration isn’t playing patty-cake with violent agitators. These charges are serious, and they send a message — you want to throw firebombs and assault federal officers? You’d better bring a toothbrush and get comfy in federal prison.
Because under this administration, lawlessness isn’t activism. It’s just a fast track to a prison cell.
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