Dem mayor mocked for pushing ICE kidnapping story that ended up being alleged hoax
Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Karen Bass, a critic of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, is being mocked for pushing a story about an LA woman being kidnapped by ICE that ended up allegedly being an elaborate hoax.
The Department of Homeland Security posted on its official X account on Friday, "Mayor, you pushed a HOAX. There is still time to delete this."
This comes after Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, a 41-year-old Mexican illegal alien living in Los Angeles, was charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers, according to the DOJ.
On July 1, Bass posted a link to a local news story about Calderon’s supposed kidnapping, commenting, "She’s a mother from L.A. — taken out of her car on her way to work, and then held in a warehouse as officers hoped she would ‘self-deport.’
"No hearing. Just fear," Bass added. "This doesn't make anyone safer."
After the charges went public, DHS slammed Bass for her comments, saying, "Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon was NEVER arrested or kidnapped by ICE or bounty hunters—this criminal illegal alien scammed innocent Americans for money and diverted limited DHS resources from Los Angeles."
RNC Research, a page run by the Republican National Committee, also chimed in, commenting on X that "Karen Bass spreads a false story demonizing ICE agents."
According to the Justice Department, Calderon claimed to have been kidnapped by masked, uniformed men in unmarked cars at a Jack in the Box parking lot June 25. She claimed to have been forcibly taken to the border and presented to an ICE staffer who demanded she sign self-deportation papers. Calderon said that when she refused to sign the document, she was taken to a warehouse to be held indefinitely.
The Los Angeles Police Department launched a missing person investigation and notified DHS, which, after determining Calderon was not in its custody, launched its own investigation.
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During the investigation, HSI noticed several irregularities, including that the phone calls to loved ones that Calderon had supposedly made via borrowed phones were made from her cell phone, intentionally masked to appear as an unknown number.
According to the affidavit, video surveillance of Calderon’s alleged forced abduction further showed her calmly leaving the Jack in the Box parking lot and getting into a nearby sedan. Despite the video showing a marked LAPD car in the vicinity, Calderon did not make any attempts to alert officers that she was in danger.
The affidavit states that "when confronted with true information that contradicted their kidnapping story," Calderon and others lied to federal agents and "attempted to thwart law enforcement efforts" by keeping her whereabouts from law enforcement.
According to a DOJ statement, HSI agents tracked Calderon down July 5 at a shopping plaza parking lot in Bakersfield, California. The statement said Calderon continued to claim she was taken by masked men and held in custody with others.
Calderon's daughter also attempted to raise money from Calderon's alleged kidnapping by creating a GoFundMe page.
A spokesperson for GoFundMe told Fox News Digital the page was removed and that the family did not access any of the money raised.
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Calderon is in U.S. immigration custody and is facing a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy and up to five years for false statements if convicted of the charges.
Fox News Digital reached out to Bass’ office for comment but did not receive a response before publication.