In Los Angeles, what began as just another livestream for Leidy Tatiana Mafla-Martinez ended in a spectacle that highlighted the stark reality of illegal immigration enforcement under President Trump’s Department of Homeland Security. Known online for filming and mocking ICE agents during raids, the Colombian national had amassed more than 40,000 TikTok followers by chronicling immigration crackdowns and anti-ICE protests. But last Friday, ICE turned the camera on her.

Bodycam footage shows ICE agents surrounding her Tesla as she tried to continue recording. Martinez screamed “no, no, no” and “wait, wait” in Spanish as she refused orders to exit her vehicle. The livestream captured her frantic protests until she was pulled from the car and taken into custody.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin confirmed that Martinez was not just a random detainee but a convicted criminal. She had entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and was previously arrested for driving under the influence. Despite her record, she was released under the Biden administration. “On August 15, ICE arrested Leidy Tatiana Mafla-Martinez, a criminal illegal alien from Colombia who was convicted for driving under the influence in Los Angeles,” McLaughlin explained.

When she complained of shortness of breath during the arrest, she received immediate medical attention before being transferred to ICE custody, where she awaits removal proceedings.

The drama did not stop with her detention. According to DHS, bystanders attempted to interfere with the arrest. In a bizarre twist, one individual reportedly stole a government vehicle and drove away as ICE agents gave chase, recording and mocking them while speeding off.

Martinez’s arrest came just one day after another illegal immigrant tragically died in Los Angeles County while fleeing an ICE raid near a Home Depot, underscoring the risks tied to evasion.

McLaughlin was blunt in her response: “Secretary Noem has been clear: anyone who seeks to impede law enforcement will be found and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The high-profile takedown of Martinez highlights both the dangers of using social media to glamorize illegal immigration and the renewed intensity of federal enforcement. For months, critics have accused influencers like Martinez of encouraging resistance to law enforcement, drawing crowds to scenes of raids, and creating dangerous confrontations.

Her livestream audience may have expected another viral stunt at ICE’s expense. Instead, they watched the influencer who mocked the law become the latest example of it.