Truck Company Denies Authorizing Vehicle for Border Patrol's 'Trojan Horse' Raid in Los Angeles

Penske Truck Rental stated on Wednesday that it did not authorize the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to use its trucks during an immigration raid in Los Angeles dubbed by Border Patrol as "Operation Trojan Horse."

In a statement posted on X, Penske said it "strictly prohibits the transportation of people in the cargo area of its vehicles under any circumstances" and that the company was not informed the trucks would be used in the operation. The company added it will reach out to DHS to reinforce its policy and prevent future improper use of its vehicles.

The raid, which took place early Wednesday at a Home Depot in the Westlake neighborhood, involved Border Patrol agents using a Penske rental truck driven by a man who pulled up to day laborers and told them he was looking for workers, as The Los Angeles Times reported at the time. As the workers gathered around, more than half a dozen Border Patrol agents jumped out the back, resulting in 16 arrests, including individuals from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

A DHS spokesperson told The Hill the raid was a targeted operation that resulted in those arrests and emphasized that federal law enforcement will continue efforts to detain "criminal illegal aliens" and protect Americans.

The raid revived concerns in Los Angeles over immigration enforcement tactics following a temporary restraining order issued by U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong. The order bars immigration officials from racially profiling people or using roving patrols to target immigrants, ruling such practices violate the Fourth Amendment. The order was upheld by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Border Patrol has shifted tactics by using vehicles like the Penske truck and vans designed to resemble those of workers to carry out these raids, according to eyewitnesses and advocates. Video footage shows agents arriving in white vans and a yellow Penske truck, blocking driveways and detaining people, some of whom were selling food or looking for day labor work.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass commented on the raind to the LA Times:

"We are all trying to look into ... exactly what happened. But from the video and from the stills, it looks like the exact same thing that we were seeing before"

Local advocacy groups have condemned the raids, calling them indiscriminate and highlighting the trauma caused. Anna Cho of the LA Tenants Union described the scene as chaotic, with "a lot of yelling" and people being grabbed quickly, while City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez called the use of a rental truck to "round up people like cargo" a "disgusting reflection" of the administration's approach and a violation of the restraining order.

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