A Los Angeles man has been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for throwing rocks and burning debris at California Highway Patrol officers trapped beneath a downtown freeway overpass during an anti-immigration enforcement protest, federal prosecutors announced.

Ismael Vega, 42, of the Westlake neighborhood, was sentenced Monday to three years and one month in prison by U.S. District Judge John F. Walter. The judge also ordered him to pay $253,415 in restitution.

Vega pleaded guilty in April to one count of obstructing, impeding and interfering with law enforcement during a civil disorder.

According to court records, Vega was among a large group of protesters gathered on the Main Street overpass above the Hollywood (101) Freeway on the evening of June 8, 2025, two days after violence erupted during protests against federal immigration enforcement.

Prosecutors said protesters set cardboard, vegetation and fireworks on fire before throwing the burning debris over the overpass railing toward a CHP vehicle parked near officers trapped below.

In his plea agreement, Vega admitted he knew officers were underneath the overpass and acknowledged that throwing rocks and ignited debris created a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury.

He also admitted throwing rocks at officers as they worked to clear the overpass, acknowledging he intended to obstruct and interfere with law enforcement carrying out their duties.

In a sentencing memo, prosecutors said the violence was unlike anything many officers had experienced.

“This civil disorder stood apart in its magnitude,” prosecutors wrote, noting that a CHP sergeant with nearly 30 years of law enforcement experience described the lasting impact the incident had on both him and his son.

Vega is the fifth defendant to be sentenced in the case.

Co-defendant Yachua Mauricio Flores, 23, of Lincoln Heights, is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 3 and faces up to five years in prison. The lead defendant, Adam Charles Palermo, 40, of Rampart Village, is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 14 and faces up to 20 years in federal prison.