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Not so funny now: Tow truck driver who hauled away ICE vehicle slapped with federal charges

September 3, 2025 | | Print Article

It may have been funny at the time, but a Los Angeles tow truck driver who hauled away an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) vehicle last month isn’t laughing now.

Bobby Nunez could have a good chunk of time on his hands to contemplate the humor of his act as the driver now faces up to a decade in prison after being federally charged for the August 15 incident in which he interfered with ICE agents during an operation to arrest an illegal alien.

According to a federal criminal complaint obtained by Fox News Digital, the 33-year-old Nunez was allegedly very amused as he hooked up and drove off with the vehicle, “laughing and filming” the act.

He has now been charged with theft of government property.

“How it started vs. How it’s going. ARRESTED: Bobby Nunez is now under arrest for brazenly towing an ICE vehicle. He is charged with theft of government property,” Acting United States Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli wrote in a viral post to X on Tuesday, sharing video of the incident and the driver’s arrest.

“Apparently he thought it would be funny to interfere with our immigration enforcement operations. Now he can laugh behind bars while he faces justice. Nunez is looking at up to 10 years in federal prison if convicted,” Essayli added.

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“According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Nunez, on August 15, interfered with federal law enforcement officers in downtown Los Angeles who were arresting Tatiana Mafla-Martinez, 23, an illegal alien from Colombia residing in downtown Los Angeles. The officers used two government law enforcement vehicles to box in Martinez’s vehicle and prevent her from escaping. Both government vehicles had their emergency lights activated during this incident, which occurred at the exit of a luxury apartment complex’s parking structure,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California said in a Tuesday press release.

“During the officers’ struggle to arrest Martinez, Nunez approached Martinez’s vehicle and began pressing the passenger side door of her vehicle on an officer, who then threatened Nunez with arrest. After being told the officers were conducting a federal investigation, Nunez swore at the officers and told them ‘Something was going to happen to them,” the statement continued.

“A second man then approached Martinez’s vehicle to interfere with the arrests. While officers addressed this man’s interference, Nunez got into his Dodge tow truck and towed one of the government vehicles that was boxing in Martinez’s vehicle. At the time of this interference, the government vehicle had its keys inside and a firearm locked in a safe inside it as well,” according to the statement. “Two days later, law enforcement observed Nunez’s tow truck parked in an assigned residential space at the same luxury apartment complex in downtown Los Angeles.”

Videos that were posted to TikTok assisted federal authorities in making the pinch.

X users were the ones who ended up getting the last laugh; now, Nunez could soon find himself being hauled off to the big house.

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Nunez’s arrest comes as California Governor Gavin Newsom gloated after an activist judge ruled that President Donald J. Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles to quell anti-ICE riots egged on by Democrats was in violation of the law.

“DONALD TRUMP LOSES AGAIN. The courts agree — his militarization of our streets and use of the military against US citizens is ILLEGAL,” the 2028 Democrat White House hopeful said in a Tuesday post to X.

But Essayli fact-checked the trash-talking governor.

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“The military will remain in Los Angeles. This is a false narrative and a misleading injunction. The military has never engaged in direct law enforcement operations here in LA,” the city’s top federal prosecutor replied. “They protect our federal employees and our properties so our federal agents can safely enforce federal laws in the face of the thugs being unleashed and encouraged by state and local politicians.”

Chris Donaldson
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