Police arrest 14 in West Hollywood raid, deny ICE involvement
Police arrested at least 14 people in West Hollywood’s rainbow district around late Friday night and early Saturday morning.
WeHo Times, a local outlet, reports that the arrests were largely drug-related as part of a pre-planned undercover operation. The raid initially sparked fears of ICE involvement, which were debunked Saturday by the West Hollywood Sheriff’s Station captain, Fanny Lapkin.
“This operation was in response to community reports about pickpocketing, narcotic sales, and other criminal activity that may be occurring at establishments or by unpermitted street vendors,” Lapkin said in a statement to WeHo Times. “Several arrests were made in the Rainbow District as part of the operation. The operation was not ICE-related, and ICE was not involved.”
The response followed several social media posts claiming that ICE had raided The Abbey, a prominent West Hollywood gay bar, on Saturday at around 1 a.m. One video showed people on the street yelling at officers in an unmarked van.
In another video, a neighboring gay bar, Mother Lode, flashed warning text on its screens reading, “ICE IS AT THE ABBEY.” Posts also reported abandoned food carts along Santa Monica Boulevard, where the gay bars are concentrated, as well as several officers entering The Abbey.
A bathroom attendant, a busboy, and a waiter were among the occupations of those arrested, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department booking log.
The operation occurred just hours before the national No Kings demonstration against the Trump administration and its use of ICE to target immigrants in Los Angeles and other U.S. cities.