Mexico Market Brawl Misrepresented as Attack on U.S. Immigration Agents in Los Angeles
The Claim
In March 2026, a video began circulating widely across social media platforms including Threads,[1] X,[2] Facebook,[3] and Instagram,[4] with claims that it showed residents of Los Angeles violently chasing away U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The viral clip shows a chaotic confrontation in which a shirtless man wearing a face covering approaches several uniformed officers and punches one of them, after which a crowd appears to chase the officers down the street. Some individuals in the video are seen throwing objects, shouting, and filming the incident as the officer’s retreat.
Posts[5] sharing the footage claimed the confrontation was a sign of growing public anger toward ICE enforcement operations. One widely shared caption stated that “Los Angeles citizens chase an ICE officer,”[6] suggesting the video showed Americans rebelling against immigration raids linked to President Donald Trump’s intensified deportation policies.
The claim gained traction during a politically tense period in the United States. At the time, a partial government shutdown linked to congressional disputes over ICE funding had disrupted airport operations and forced many federal employees to work without pay. The Trump administration had also begun deploying ICE agents to airports to address travel delays,[7] further intensifying political debate and protests surrounding immigration enforcement.
Because demonstrations against ICE have occurred in several U.S. cities during Trump’s presidency, many users online assumed the footage showed a real incident in Los Angeles.
What CyberPoe Verified
Reverse image searches and media reports reveal that the video does not show an incident in the United States at all. The footage actually comes from San Luis Potosí, Mexico, and was
recorded in February 2026[1] during a confrontation between workers and local police at a wholesale produce market.
Mexican journalists and news outlets shared the same clip on February 11, 2026,[2] identifying the location as the Central de Abastos wholesale market in San Luis Potosí. According to local reporting, the confrontation occurred after members of the Guardia Civil Estatal San Luis Potosí, a state-level police force, responded to reports of a fight among market workers.
The situation escalated when several workers who transport fruits and vegetables at the market confronted the officers, resulting in the physical altercation captured in the viral video.
Reports from the Mexican newspaper La Jornada stated that three people were detained, while the police force later announced that five individuals were arrested in connection with the disturbance in the commercial area.
Further visual verification confirms the video was filmed at the market in Mexico. Investigators matched distinctive background elements in the footage, including a red wall bearing the Spanish slogan “calidad que guía, frescura que ilumina” and the logo of Don Chenchi, a wholesaler specializing in seeds, grains, spices, and dried chiles.
Images from Don Chenchi’s official Instagram account show the same red wall and branding, confirming the location seen in the video.
Additional clues also contradict the claim that the incident took place in Los Angeles. Officers in the video wear vests labeled “Guardia Civil,” identifying them as Mexican state police rather than U.S. immigration agents. Moreover, voices heard in the footage include Mexican slang expressions, such as “a huevo,” a phrase commonly used in Mexico to express excitement or encouragement.
CyberPoe Verdict ❌
False / Misrepresented video.
The viral footage does not show Los Angeles residents attacking U.S. ICE agents. It actually depicts a February 2026 confrontation between market workers and state police at the Central de Abastos wholesale market in San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
The claim circulating on social media misrepresents the location and context of the video to falsely link it to U.S. immigration enforcement protests.
