Penske Truck Rental has condemned the use of one of its rental vehicles in a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operation, asserting it did not sanction the deployment of its truck to conceal agents during a controversial immigration raid. The raid took place at a Home Depot parking lot near MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, where U.S. Border Patrol agents leapt from the back of a Penske box truck to detain undocumented immigrants.
Federal agents on Wednesday staged an early‑morning operation they called “Operation Trojan Horse”, during which Border Patrol officers leapt from the back of a rented Penske truck and arrested at least 16 suspected illegal immigrants from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, and Nicaragua. DHS said the area is an MS 13 stronghold, which is one reason they carried out the highly publicized immigration raid.
“This morning, Border Patrol conducted a targeted raid, dubbed Trojan Horse, in Los Angeles at a Home Depot that resulted in the arrest of 16 illegal aliens from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, and Nicaragua,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement, according to NBC Los Angeles.
Rather than commend the agents for enforcing federal immigration law, Penske responded by apologizing to the illegal immigrants. In a public statement posted on X, the company said that transporting people in the cargo area of its trucks is strictly prohibited, and emphasized that it had not been made aware of the federal agency’s intent to use the truck in that way. The company indicated it would be reaching out to DHS to clarify its policies and to discourage any similar uses in the future.
DHS has not issued a formal response to Penske’s statement but has maintained that the operation was part of its ongoing efforts to enforce federal immigration laws in coordination with its internal enforcement units. Federal officials, including those within Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, have reiterated in past briefings that such operations are lawful, carefully planned, and focused on individuals known or suspected to be in violation of U.S. immigration law.
Law enforcement sources familiar with the operation described it as a strategic effort designed to apprehend individuals in a high-traffic location known for unregulated day labor activity. The use of a rental truck as a staging method allowed agents to approach the area without alerting the public or targets in advance. While not a common tactic, sources say this approach was used in response to the operational environment and risk factors in the location.
Though critics of the enforcement action were vocal on social media and in public forums, the operation received widespread support from Americans who favor strong border security and believe federal agencies should be given flexibility to carry out their missions effectively. Supporters of the agents involved pointed out that the individuals detained violated federal immigration law and that enforcement must occur even in urban centers that adopt sanctuary policies.
This is not the first time a Penske truck has been caught up in immigration-related controversy. In April, authorities discovered 58 illegal migrants packed into the back of a truck during a human smuggling operation—also involving a truck rented from Penske. The company issued no statement condemning the use of its truck for the human smuggling operation.
The timing of the enforcement action has also drawn attention due to its proximity to a recent federal court decision that unlawfully restricts how immigration agents may conduct operations in Southern California.
