A Los Angeles County man pleaded not guilty Thursday to possessing a Molotov cocktail during protests in Paramount stemming from federal immigration enforcement operations.
Emiliano Garduno Galvez, 23, of Paramount entered his plea in downtown Los Angeles to federal counts of possession of an unregistered destructive device and civil disorder, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
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Trial was set for Aug. 19 in Santa Ana federal court.
At a previous hearing, Galvez was denied bond after a magistrate judge noted a risk of flight and an attempt to obstruct justice as well as his criminal history. The judge said Galvez's past criminal history includes driving under the influence, obstruction of a police officer, resisting arrest, driving without a license and that he was wanted on a warrant out of state court.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Yang told the judge Galvez, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, "overstayed a visa" for more than a decade.
According to an affidavit, on the evening of June 7 in Paramount, Galvez allegedly lit and threw a Molotov cocktail over a wall where Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies were engaging in crowd control, then ran away.
Federal officials said a crowd had gathered in that area earlier in the day near a staging area for federal agents who were preparing for an immigration enforcement operation.
"When protesting crosses the line into violence, the penalties will be severe," U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a statement last month. "Possessing a Molotov cocktail or another destructive device is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison."
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said Galvez had been previously deported and had a criminal record.
"It turns out that Emiliano Garduno-Galvez -- the Mexican national charged with attempted murder after throwing a Molotov cocktail at federal officers during the violent riots in Los Angeles -- already had a criminal record," ICE said in a social media post last month.
"Last year, he was arrested twice by local police in California: Anaheim police GRAND THEFT. Long Beach police DUI.
"WE ALREADY DEPORTED HIM ONCE."
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