- The crypto-based ICERAID project targeted Mayor Karen Bass during recent Los Angeles protests.
- ICERAID encourages users to upload photos of alleged illegal immigrants and public figures in exchange for crypto tokens.
- Over 100 immigrants were reportedly arrested after ICE raids in Los Angeles, leading to large protests and property damage.
- Former Proud Boys leader supported ICERAID’s call to “detain” Bass, while the project promoted related far-right groups.
- Mayor Bass condemned violence and criticized National Guard intervention, calling for peaceful demonstrations.
On June 8, the crypto-focused project ICERAID named Mayor Karen Bass as a “suspect” during ongoing protests in Los Angeles. ICERAID, which operates independently of the actual U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, asks social media followers to upload photos of Bass and others to its tracker and offers cryptocurrency as a reward.
ICERAID has provided an incentive of 10,000 RAID tokens for submissions and has called on users via its official X account to “organize your own #raids.” The project started these activities one day after mass protests erupted in response to recent ICE operations in Los Angeles, where more than 100 people were reportedly arrested across predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods. In connection with the unrest, National Guard troops were deployed, and incidents such as looting and car fires occurred.
According to ICERAID’s founder, crypto entrepreneur Jason Meyers, the platform offers rewards to individuals who submit images of people they believe are undocumented immigrants. Meyers has claimed to be in communication with White House officials, though there is no confirmation that any arrests have resulted directly from ICERAID reports or that ICE collaborates with the platform.
During the protests, Mayor Bass addressed the escalation, asking for peaceful demonstrations and criticizing the federal response. She stated, “Angelenos have the right to make their voices heard through peaceful protest, but don’t fall into the administration’s trap.” Bass also described the deployment of National Guard troops as a “chaotic escalation.” For more on the ICE raids, see reports by the New York Times and BBC.
ICERAID’s online presence leans heavily toward pro-Bitcoin and conspiracy theories. The group claims the dispute between Donald Trump and Elon Musk is staged, and promotes an anti-immigration stance, using language such as describing the situation as a “war” and suggesting “America has already been invaded.” ICERAID briefly gained traction among far-right outlets, increasing the reported number of witness reports on its tracker.
Support for ICERAID has come from Enrique Tarrio, former leader of the Proud Boys, who publicly endorsed the detention of Mayor Bass. ICERAID has since highlighted the group and shared related content. However, the project has also shown mistakes in its online activity, such as mischaracterizing a promotional Tesla video as an instance of domestic terrorism.
As of June 9, the ICERAID tracker lists sixteen entries, including two from Los Angeles, though actual law enforcement engagement remains unverified. For more coverage, see ICERAID’s X account and statements by project founder Jason Meyers.
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