Trump Administration to Prosecute Rioters Under Hobbs Act
The Trump administration plans to charge individuals involved in the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles under the Hobbs Act, according to comments from Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Bondi faced criticism from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who suggested that the administration was not prioritizing safety in California. She noted that Los Angeles had implemented a curfew on Tuesday night, which she described as “a bit helpful.”
“We’ve all seen it on the news. Drug stores have been looted, and the Apple Store has been targeted,” Bondi stated. “As we’re watching this unfold, we’re using the Hobbs Act to address robberies. If you loot a store, we will categorize it as robbery under the Hobbs Act, which could lead to a prison sentence of up to 20 years.”
The Department of Justice describes the Hobbs Act as prohibiting activities that attempt to force or rob commercial transactions crossing state or international lines.
The Hobbs Act forbids both actual and attempted robbery or extortion affecting interstate or foreign commerce. It also makes conspiracy to commit such acts illegal, diverging from other conspiracy laws laid out under 18 USC §371.
In other discussions, Bondi mentioned that Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler sought “federal aid” to help California “declare an economic disaster.” She emphasized that such a declaration could have opened the door for federal assistance to struggling businesses.
“We wanted to make that declaration, but they didn’t. If they had, Loeffler and the Small Business Administration could have stepped in to support all of these businesses in California,” Bondi remarked.
Previously, Breitbart News reported that Loeffler urged Newsom to “request a disaster declaration” from the SBA, aiming to provide “emergency assistance” to small businesses harmed by the unrest in Los Angeles.
Loeffler criticized local leaders, stating that “an immigrant mob has plundered storefronts and committed vandalism against small businesses.” She asserted that while local authorities allowed chaos to ensue, federal partners were ready to assist Americans in rebuilding.
