MEXICO · IMMIGRATION
Key Facts
- —What is happening Mexican national Carlitos Ricardo Parias, known online as Richard LA, has filed a US$50 million claim against the US government over his shooting by federal agents in Los Angeles in October 2025.
- —Why it matters The case tests how far US immigration agents can use force against a reporter, and the government is appealing a judge’s dismissal of its own charges against him.
- —The numbers He was shot on 21 October 2025 and has been held at an ICE centre for roughly a year. The claim seeks US$50 million, and the Ninth Circuit is due to hear the government’s appeal on a Friday that is not confirmed.
- —Who is who Parias is a 45-year-old Mexican citizen who covers south Los Angeles on TikTok. Denise Gastelum is his civil rights attorney, and Carlos Jurado is his immigration attorney.
- —What to watch The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to rule in November on the dismissal. The claim is a step before any lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and ICE.
- —Power Index Mexico ranks 2nd of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 71.4 points (October 2026 edition).
- —What it means for you Mexican citizens in the United States, and US reporters covering immigration raids, may face the same risks. Any payout would come from US taxpayers, and the outcome could shape future federal use-of-force cases.
A Mexican TikTok reporter shot by US agents in 2025 now seeks US$50 million. He is still held by ICE.
Lawyers for Carlitos Ricardo Parias, a Mexican citizen known as Richard LA, have filed a US$50 million claim against the US government. It follows his shooting by federal agents during an immigration operation in south Los Angeles in October 2025.
ABC7 Los Angeles and La Opinión say lawyers announced it on a Tuesday, meaning 20 October, and reported it on 22 October. Parias remains in ICE detention, and his lawyers say the criminal charges against him were dismissed.
What the US$50 Million Claim Says
Lawyer Denise Gastelum calls it a step before suing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and others. Reports do not name the legal basis or the receiving agency.
Gastelum says body camera footage shows “the indiscriminate attack by an ICE agent” on a man in his car with hands up. That is the lawyer’s description, and the footage has not been published in the reports reviewed.
DHS has said it strongly disagrees with the dismissal of the assault case. It has also said that “no one is denied access to counsel,” ABC7 and La Opinión reported.
What Happened on 21 October 2025
Parias was shot on Tuesday, 21 October 2025, in south-central Los Angeles, N+ reported. ICE agents were trying to detain him in his car, and federal prosecutors later said he drove into two federal vehicles.
One agent fired, and Parias was wounded in the arm; reports describe the injury as to the elbow. His lawyers say the round ricocheted and hit a US marshal in the hand.
Mexico’s foreign ministry said at the time that he had suffered a gunshot wound to the arm, N+ reported. Authorities describe him as a Mexican national living in the United States without legal status, Fortune reported.
Why a Judge Threw Out the Charges
Prosecutors charged him with assaulting a federal officer, alleging he used his car as a weapon. US District Judge Fernando Olguin dismissed the case with prejudice in late December 2025, barring refiling.
The judge found his rights were violated because officials repeatedly kept his defense lawyers from meeting him in immigration detention. Fortune reported that Olguin criticised the government’s failure to coordinate its separate agencies.
The US Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles said it “strongly disagree[s]” with the court’s facts and legal conclusions. The government appealed, and ABC7 reports Ninth Circuit arguments are set for “next Friday”, with a decision expected in November.
Who Richard LA Is
Parias, 45, reports on TikTok as “Richard Noticias LA” on crime, safety and immigration enforcement in south Los Angeles, in Spanish. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a New York press-freedom group, says the Los Angeles City Council honoured his journalism in 2025.
CPJ said in August that he had been held for 300 days at the Adelanto ICE Processing Center in California. His lawyers say he lacks adequate care, including painkillers and physical therapy.
His defenders say he was targeted because of his coverage of the Los Angeles raids. Reports reviewed contain no government statement saying why he was arrested.
What It Means for US Readers
This claim puts a US$50 million price tag on one ICE shooting. Any settlement or judgment would be paid by US taxpayers.
Journalists who cover immigration raids should note that courts are weighing both the use of force and detainee access to lawyers. Mexican citizens in the United States can ask their nearest Mexican consulate for help.
For wider context, see how Mexico deportations passed 271,000 and how Mexico rejected US third-country deportations. A Costa Rican man’s death in ICE custody raised similar questions, and the Mexico hub carries more.
What Is Not Known
The reports give no filing date, only that lawyers announced the claim on a “Tuesday”; 20 October is inferred. The legal basis of the claim is not reported, nor whether DHS has answered the claim itself.
The court filings and body camera footage were not available for review, so the account rests on lawyers, DHS and press reports. Reports reviewed place the marshal’s wound in the hand, none says the head, and N+ gives no body part.
The hearing date is unconfirmed: ABC7 says “next Friday” (30 October), while La Opinión says “this Friday” (23 October). It is not known when he might be released or whether a lawsuit will follow.
What Comes Next
The Ninth Circuit will first rule on whether the dismissal stands, with a decision expected in November. That ruling does not decide the US$50 million claim or his immigration case.
If the agency denies the claim or does not answer, his lawyers say they plan a lawsuit. A claim of this size does not mean he will receive that amount.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Richard LA?
He is Carlitos Ricardo Parias, 45, a Mexican citizen who reports on TikTok from south Los Angeles. He was shot by federal agents on 21 October 2025.
What is the US$50 million claim?
It is a federal claim against the US government that his lawyers call a step before a lawsuit. They say that suit would name DHS, ICE and other agencies.
Why was he arrested?
Federal agents tried to detain him in his car during an immigration operation. Prosecutors charged him with assaulting an officer, but a judge dismissed the case.
Is he still in detention?
Yes, according to reports on 22 October, he is held at an ICE centre in Adelanto, California. His lawyers say the detention is unlawful.
What does DHS say?
DHS says it strongly disagrees with the dismissal and that no one is denied access to counsel. The federal government has appealed the ruling.
Sources: ABC7 Los Angeles, 22 October 2026; El Financiero, 22 October 2026; La Opinión, 22 October 2026; Los Angeles Magazine; N+, October 2025; Fortune, 30 December 2025; Committee to Protect Journalists, August 2026 (all accessed 23 October 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief