Biography
Esteban Armenta Arias was arrested on June 10, 2025, at a protest against federal immigration enforcement outside the Roybal Federal Building in Los Angeles. The federal complaint alleged that he threw a water bottle toward officers, striking an officer’s shield. According to the agent’s account of his interview, Arias said that officers had struck him and his spouse before he threw the bottle. He was taken to a Federal Protective Service holding cell and charged with misdemeanor assault on a federal officer. At his June 12 initial appearance, the court ordered release on a $5,000 appearance bond. He pleaded not guilty. On July 31, 2026, the court granted the government’s motion to dismiss the case with prejudice, canceled the remaining hearings and exonerated his bond.
