Walmart worker indicted in immigration arrest

Adrian Martinez is accused of impeding Border Patrol operation in Pico Rivera mall parking lot

- BY BRITTNY MEJIA

GINA FERAZZI Los Angeles Times

ADRIAN MARTINEZ, with his mother, Myra Villarreal, faces up to six years in prison if convicted.

A former Walmart employee who tried to intervene as Border Patrol agents arrested an undocumented custodial worker in Pico Rivera in June was indicted by a federal grand jury Wednesday.

Adrian Martinez, 20, was indicted by a Santa Ana jury on the charge of conspiracy to impede a federal officer tied to the events of June 17, which unfolded at the height of the Trump administration's immigration raids in the Los Angeles area. Martinez's violent arrest was caught on video and quickly went viral.

According to the three-page indictment, Martinez confronted Border Patrol agents as they tried to arrest the custodial worker in the parking lot of a shopping center and blocked the agents' vehicle with his own. Prosecutors allege that he positioned himself with a growing crowd to surround the agents' vehicle and prevent it from leaving the area.

Martinez then allegedly grabbed a large trash can and moved it in front of the agents' vehicle, blocking them from being able to pass.

According to the U.S. attorney's office in L.A., Martinez faces up to six years in prison if convicted. He was set to be arraigned in downtown L.A. on Thursday.

"Make no mistake: There are serious, life-altering consequences for impeding law enforcement," acting U.S.