In a horrifying escalation of federal immigration enforcement, two separate car washes on the Westside were raided on back-to-back days this week, resulting in the abduction of at least 13 community members. Those detained include car wash workers, a plumber, and even a U.S. citizen who was briefly held and interrogated. These were not isolated arrests. They were highly coordinated operations involving dozens of armed agents, unmarked vehicles, military-style uniforms, and the use of aggressive tactics designed to instill fear.
On Tuesday, August 12 at 11:32 a.m., about 20 federal agents raided Handy J Carwash at 12681 Washington Boulevard where Mar Vista meets Culver City. Video footage and eyewitness reports show the agents dressed in camouflage tactical gear and face coverings. They arrived in at least six vehicles, including a white Dodge Sprinter van, a black Chevrolet Express, a gray Jeep Grand Cherokee, and a red Mitsubishi Outlander. Agents wore vests labeled “POLICE” and badges reading “Border Patrol.” At least eight car washers were taken, along with a ninth person, a plumber working nearby. One of the individuals detained holds permanent legal residency, yet was still abducted in the operation. Witnesses described people being tackled, cuffed, and shoved into waiting vans. One elderly man was thrown to the ground by armed agents in full military gear. The raid was captured on surveillance footage and cell phones from nearby workers and bystanders.
Just 24 hours later, on Wednesday, August 13, a second raid took place at the Overland Car Wash, located at 3764 Overland Avenue in Palms. Around 12:10 p.m., 12 Border Patrol agents in military-style uniforms arrived in at least three vehicles, including a black Chevrolet Tahoe, a silver pickup truck, and a black SUV. They surrounded the car wash and detained at least three workers. A fourth individual may have also been taken. One agent, identified by a red face covering, briefly detained and interrogated a U.S. citizen who was later released after the raid ended. A witness reported an unusually strong LAPD presence near the scene at the time of the raid. While LAPD officers were not seen directly participating in the operation, their proximity raises serious questions about whether the department was notified in advance or provided support behind the scenes. This suspicion is reinforced by LAPD’s history of sharing data and cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. Community members are now being urged to treat clustered police presence near workplaces as a potential warning sign of ICE activity.
Despite the scale, violence, and frequency of these operations, Los Angeles city leaders have remained silent. The raids took place in the districts of Councilmembers Traci Park (CD11) and Katy Yaroslavsky (CD5), but neither has issued a statement, condemned the actions, or offered support to affected families. Instead, both councilmembers spent the week publicly promoting their National Night Out events, celebrating law enforcement with photo ops and block parties while workers in their districts were dragged into vans at gunpoint. Their silence in the face of this terror campaign speaks volumes, signaling indifference at best, and complicity at worst.
The West LA Rapid Response Network responded to both raids within minutes. Their teams confirmed the identities of those taken, provided legal and emotional support to families, and documented vehicle information and agent behavior. They are urging residents to stay vigilant, document suspicious activity, and know their rights. People approached by immigration agents should not open the door, not speak without a lawyer, and not show ID without a valid judicial warrant. The community is also being asked to save and share the West LA RRN hotline number: 310-513-5539.