MEDIA HOAX EXPOSED The media claimed that an LA woman was shoved into an unmarked car by ICE, taken to a building, and starved. Turns out she STAGED the entire thing and is now being charged with multiple crimes. The media ran this completely fake story. All they do is lie. – Libs of Tik Tok
In late June 2025, a shocking story hit the news in Los Angeles. A community leader and mom of three, Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon—known as Juli—was reportedly kidnapped right out of a Jack in the Box parking lot. According to her family and lawyer, masked men in unmarked cars grabbed her at night, didn’t show badges, and whisked her away. They said she was taken straight to the U.S.-Mexico border at San Ysidro, where agents tried to force her to sign papers for “self-deportation.” When she refused, demanding a lawyer and judge, they allegedly moved her to a dingy warehouse, giving her only water and no food. “They are keeping us here until we agree to sign voluntary self-deportation paperwork,” Juli supposedly told her family in a secret phone call.
Media outlets jumped on it fast. KTLA, a big local news station, ran headlines like “L.A. mother says she was taken to U.S. border, being held until she self-deports.” The Latin Times called her a “California Community Leader Reportedly Taken To The Border And Held At A Warehouse Until She Self-Deports.” Even The Independent in the UK picked it up, painting it as a scary example of harsh immigration tactics. Continued Below the fast clip
Media outlets jumped on it fast. KTLA, a big local news station, ran headlines like “L.A. mother says she was taken to U.S. border, being held until she self-deports.” The Latin Times called her a “California Community Leader Reportedly Taken To The Border And Held At A Warehouse Until She Self-Deports.” Even The Independent in the UK picked it up, painting it as a scary example of harsh immigration tactics. Continued Below the fast clip
Bill Essayli reveals how he and his team uncovered the ICE kidnapping hoax:
“We knew she was not in our custody and our agents were concerned that she was actually kidnapped, so we launched an investigation… we found out the whole thing was a hoax.”
Bill Essayli reveals how he and his team uncovered the ICE kidnapping hoax:
“We knew she was not in our custody and our agents were concerned that she was actually kidnapped, so we launched an investigation… we found out the whole thing was a hoax.” pic.twitter.com/WzHt4TnxyZ
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) July 17, 2025
On X, users shared the story widely, with one post from journalist David Dayen getting over 2,600 likes, calling it “chilling. “Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tweeted about it too, saying it was “deeply disturbing” and demanding answers from federal officials. This all happened right as President Donald Trump ramped up his border enforcement. After winning re-election, Trump promised the biggest deportation push in history, sending more ICE agents to cities like LA to round up undocumented immigrants. His team activated the National Guard under Title 10 and targeted criminals first, but critics said it scared everyday families. The Juli story fit perfectly into that fear. Media reports linked it to Trump’s policies, saying things like unmarked vans and secret holds showed a “dystopian” side of immigration control. Immigrant rights groups protested, and some politicians called for ICE to stop using masks or unmarked cars. It made ICE agents look like villains—kidnappers in the night—hurting their image and making their jobs harder. Assaults on ICE officers had already spiked 830% due to bad press, and this hoax added fuel to the fire.
Julie’s family even started a GoFundMe to “help with legal fees and support,” pulling in donations from sympathetic people. Her lawyer, Stephano Medina, held a press conference on June 30, describing it as a “kidnapping of a community leader.” Loved ones said Juli was a hero, volunteering for immigrant rights and raising kids with special needs. No one could find her in ICE’s detainee database, which made it seem like a shady operation. LAPD filed a missing persons report, and federal agents scrambled to investigate.
But by July 17, the truth exploded like a bad plot twist. The Department of Justice charged Juli with conspiracy and lying to federal officers. Turns out, she faked the whole thing! Surveillance video showed her calmly leaving the parking lot in a sedan, not shoved into any van. Her phone records proved she was free the whole time, even snapping photos of herself with dirt on her face to fake abuse—like no necklace or shoelaces, which real custody would remove. Homeland Security tracked her to a Bakersfield parking lot over the Fourth of July weekend. She wasn’t kidnapped; she hid to scam sympathy and money.
But by July 17, the truth exploded like a bad plot twist. The Department of Justice charged Juli with conspiracy and lying to federal officers. Turns out, she faked the whole thing! Surveillance video showed her calmly leaving the parking lot in a sedan, not shoved into any van. Her phone records proved she was free the whole time, even snapping photos of herself with dirt on her face to fake abuse—like no necklace or shoelaces, which real custody would remove. Homeland Security tracked her to a Bakersfield parking lot over the Fourth of July weekend. She wasn’t kidnapped; she hid to scam sympathy and money.
The U.S. Attorney called it a “brazen scheme” that wasted resources and smeared ICE. DHS posted on X: “FAKE NEWS HOAX EXPOSED… Calderon will now face justice and the media and politicians who swallowed and pushed this garbage should be embarrassed!” On X, users like @libsoftiktok blasted it as “MEDIA HOAX EXPOSED,” with over 5,900 likes, comparing it to Jussie Smollett’s fake attack.
Replies piled on: “All they do is lie,” and “Dems are desperate.”
Even Fox News reported how the hoax diverted ICE from catching real threats like fentanyl dealers.
This wasn’t just a silly prank; it hurt real people. ICE agents, already facing hate, got more backlash. Trump’s team said it proved why tough enforcement is needed—liars like Juli exploit the system. Media outlets quietly updated stories, but the damage was done. As one X user said, “They don’t report the news, they script it.”
In the end, this scam showed how far some will go to bash Trump’s border wins. But hey, if Juli wanted attention, she got it—now as the star of her own “deportation drama.” Maybe next time, instead of faking a kidnapping, she could’ve just auditioned for a soap opera. At least those plots are honest about being fake!
Replies piled on: “All they do is lie,” and “Dems are desperate.”
Even Fox News reported how the hoax diverted ICE from catching real threats like fentanyl dealers.
This wasn’t just a silly prank; it hurt real people. ICE agents, already facing hate, got more backlash. Trump’s team said it proved why tough enforcement is needed—liars like Juli exploit the system. Media outlets quietly updated stories, but the damage was done. As one X user said, “They don’t report the news, they script it.”
In the end, this scam showed how far some will go to bash Trump’s border wins. But hey, if Juli wanted attention, she got it—now as the star of her own “deportation drama.” Maybe next time, instead of faking a kidnapping, she could’ve just auditioned for a soap opera. At least those plots are honest about being fake!
🚨🚨Like I’ve said all along , She’s was never “ Kidnapped “ , never taken to a warehouse, it was all staged ! Theater at its best . I hope and pray everyone involved gets prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law ! ! 🚨🚨@DOJCrimDiv @USAO_LosAngeles @NICEnforcement pic.twitter.com/iqu69d4ENZ
— Scott Mechkowski (@ScottMechkowski) July 17, 2025
Sgt K with Beth, X Posts, Grok
Links
- DOJ Press Release on Charges: https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/mexican-national-charged-federal-criminal-complaint-staging-fake-immigration
- KTLA Original Article: https://ktla.com/news/local-news/l-a-mother-taken-to-u-s-border-being-held-until-she-self-deports-attorneys/
- LA Times on Hoax Revelation: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-07-17/fake-immigration-kidnapping-federal-charges
- DHS X Post: https://x.com/DHSgov/status/1945989708468904405
- Libs of TikTok X Post: https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/1945952174543946089
- Fox News Article: https://www.foxla.com/news/south-la-mom-charged-fake-ice-kidnapping-hoax
- The Independent Article: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/crime/fake-ice-kidnapping-justice-department-b2791193.html
- Free Beacon on Karen Bass: https://freebeacon.com/california/karen-bass-claimed-ice-kidnapped-a-los-angeles-mother-on-her-way-to-work-prosecutors-say-it-was-a-hoax/
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@Bubblebathgirl
- X Post by
@WholesomeTrad
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